Get Your People AI Ready: 3 Key Ideas

Want to make sure your company is making the most of the generative AI moment? Then you better make sure you’re bringing your people along—and being deliberate about it. That was the big takeaway from an intense session at our Board Forum in Dallas last week where Florin Rotar, chief AI officer, Avanade and Tariq Shaukat, board member, Public Storage and Gap Inc., co-CEO, Sonor and a former Google Cloud executive (right),?faced a room full of public company directors hungry for insight into how best to make use of the newest wave of AI technology. And when I say hungry, I mean so hungry that Rotar and Shaukat never even got the chance to do their presentation—they were simply swamped by an hour of questioning that could have gone on for an entire day. Sifting through it all, here are three key bullets that business leaders may want to pay a lot of attention to in the coming months:

• Train your people—now. Inside of 65,000-thousand-employee Avanade, Rotar has been laying out a series of generative AI training programs so people at “least have an idea of how to redefine or reimagine their jobs” and their roles on a task level. He decided not to make it mandatory, and the uptake has been stunning, he said. “Over 70 percent of 65,000 people who took the training within the first three weeks,” he said. “I’ve never, ever in my career had such a strong reaction on anything I’ve ever done.”
• Develop critical thinking as?the critical skill—now. The ability to have enough broad knowledge and common sense to look at what the AI is saying or creating and know if it’s real—or B.S. at scale—will be essential. “The way that technology works, it will always hallucinate,” said Shaukat. “This is a critical problem. Because you can see in all sorts of places rolling out generative AI tools and having people say, ‘well, the computer said it, therefore it must be right.’ And they are not going think about it.”
• Get your leadership thinking about “responsible AI.” What does that mean? Different things to different people, including industry leaders like Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. But, broadly, they said it began with insuring that AI initiatives align with the company’s core values and ethical standards. Promoting a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. Engaging in strategic planning to leverage AI for competitive advantage while also mitigating risks. And making sure everyone on the board and in leadership has more than cursory knowledge the technology, its uses and its risks—and can enunciate those risks to help manage them.

“I think this topic, because it is so pervasive, it’ll cut through everything,” said Shaukat. “You really need to join these conversations. Two companies may make different decisions. And that’s probably okay.” Read the full article >

A reminder that Chief Executive and sister publication Corporate Board Member will be working to help you and your organizations with all things AI in the weeks to come.

• On April 24, we’ll offer our?Microsoft Copilot Workshop, helping you dive into the new tech with confidence.
• On June 13, we have?AI Unleashed, a special program designed specifically for board members .
• We’re also planning a deep dive on developing your overall AI corporate strategy for late May.

Stay tuned and hope you can join us! MS Copilot Workshop | AI for Boards Event >

— Dan Bigman, editor, Chief Executive. [email protected]

Join us in West Point:

Find and Keep Your Best Talent.?Go behind the gates of West Point during Chief Executive’s Talent Summit on April 10-12 and garner insights from both the U.S. Army and seasoned CEOs to attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent amidst stiff competition. Learn from West Point Generals and CEO alumni how you can accelerate the development of leaders in your company who can fuel your company's growth and success. Register today >>?

If you don't get Chief Executive's CEO Briefing newsletter in your inbox, sign up here