As AI evolves from easy automation to stylish autonomous brokers, HR executives face some of the vital workforce transformations in fashionable historical past. The problem isn’t simply understanding the expertise — it’s navigating tradition change, expertise growth and workforce planning when AI capabilities double each six months.
Simon Brown, EY’s international studying and growth chief, has spent practically 2 years serving to the agency’s 400,000 workers put together for an AI-driven future. Along with his previous expertise as chief studying officer at Novartis and his work with Microsoft, Brown provides crucial insights on positioning organizations for fulfillment in an autonomous AI world.
What are the highest questions C-suite executives have to ask their groups about agentic AI initiatives?
Are folks conscious of what’s attainable with brokers? Are we experimenting to seek out methods brokers might help us? Do now we have the talents and data to try this correctly?
However probably the most crucial query is: Is the tradition there to help this? Most organizations are feeling their means via which instruments work, what the use circumstances are, what drives worth. There’s numerous ambiguity. Some organizations handle properly via uncertainty; others want clear solutions and might’t fail — that’s exhausting when there’s no clear path and other people have to experiment.
How can leaders assess whether or not their group has the correct tradition for agentic AI?
Take a look at how AI instruments like Microsoft Copilot are being embraced. Are folks experimenting and discovering productiveness worth, or are they threatened and never utilizing it? If leaders are position modeling use and inspiring their folks, that comes via in adoption metrics. Tradition exhibits via communication, management position modeling, ability constructing and time to be taught.
What are frequent blind spots when executives consider AI readiness?
Two main points. First, executives typically aren’t conscious of what’s attainable with the most recent AI techniques as a result of safety constraints and procurement processes that create 6-to-12-month lags.
Second, the pace of enchancment. If I attempted an AI software a month in the past versus at this time, I’ll get a totally totally different expertise as a result of the underlying mannequin improved. Copilot now has GPT-5 entry, giving it a major in a single day increase. Leaders have to shift from fascinated with AI as static techniques upgraded yearly to one thing always enhancing and doubling in energy each six months.
How ought to leaders strategy change administration with AI brokers?
Change administration is important. When OpenAI releases new capabilities, everybody has entry to the expertise. Whether or not organizations get the profit relies upon completely on change administration — tradition, experimentation skill, expertise and whether or not folks really feel inspired reasonably than fearful. We’re addressing this via AI badges, curricula, enterprise-wide studying — all signaling the group values constructing AI expertise.
What’s your framework for evaluating whether or not AI funding will drive actual enterprise worth?
I take into consideration three loops. First, can I exploit this to do present duties cheaper, sooner, higher? Second, can I understand new worth — serving extra prospects, new services? Third, if everybody’s utilizing AI, how will we reinvent ourselves to create new worth? It’s shifting past simply doing the identical issues higher to what AI helps us do in another way.
How ought to HR leaders rethink workforce planning given AI’s potential to automate job features?
Perceive which expertise AI will affect, which stay uniquely human and what new roles get created. The World Financial Discussion board predicts vital discount in sure roles however internet improve total. We’re seeing new, extra refined roles created that transfer folks larger up the worth chain.
From HR’s perspective, are our processes nonetheless match for AI pace? How are we incentivizing reskilling? Are we making certain studying entry and time? How are we signaling which expertise are in demand versus prone to automation?
How ought to HR measure success after implementing agentic AI?
Tie again to why it was carried out — enterprise worth. Use comparable metrics as earlier than however have a look at what modified. Perhaps similar output however cheaper, sooner, higher. Or new capabilities — our third-party threat crew makes use of brokers to offer far more in depth provider evaluation than earlier than. Similar crew dimension, extra shopper worth.
What’s your timeline perspective on when agentic AI turns into aggressive necessity versus benefit?
That’s the final word query. I’m amazed each day by what I obtain utilizing AI and brokers. ChatGPT-5’s latest capabilities are mind-blowing, suggesting dramatic affect rapidly. However when deep AI consultants have vastly totally different views — from AGI across the nook to many years away — it’s comprehensible why leaders wrestle to navigate this panorama.
