Enterprises must ensure their workers are ready to embrace AI transformation to ensure digital visions translate to business success.
Workers are naturally worried about whether their roles will be needed as automation gathers pace. But equally they also want to have the ability to leverage new technology – and legacy IT could undermine that imperative.
AI applications are starting to be used across business and, according to figures from IDC, 80% of companies plan to buy AI PCs this year.[1]
Tom Mainelli, IDC’s Group Vice President for Device and Consumer Research, commented: “This reflects a broader trend toward democratising AI capabilities, ensuring that teams across functions and levels can benefit from its transformative potential.”[2]
Securing the buy-in of employees around AI adoption
Keeping employees positive about this potential of AI and engaged in its deployment will be key to success.
“Employees are excited about AI’s potential to simplify and accelerate their daily work,” explains Gaston Sandoval, Corporate Vice President, PC Marketing, at AMD. “However, that hope is matched by real fears; of being replaced on the one hand and inadvertently exposing sensitive company data on the other.”
Training will be a crucial element of reassuring employees as they get to grips with the AI transformation.
“What we’ve seen during our own experience at AMD is that when employees understand what AI can actually do for them, fear fades and adoption takes off,” says Sandoval.
It would appear IT leaders agree, as research found the tool being most used to build AI capabilities was learning platforms (39%). [3]
Another way businesses can help employees adjust to AI is by starting small with discreet AI pilots.
Sandoval explains: “As the value of AI becomes visible, demand grows organically, and what begins as a limited trial can rapidly scale into widespread adoption.”
Making the right technology choices for employees
Currently, businesses are at the very early stages of AI, putting in place the hardware foundation that will eventually support a rich AI application ecosystem.
“CIOs should invest in the best performing AI-PCs today, so that when applications catch up they will be ready to benefit, with no need for another upgrade,” adds Sandoval.
Processor capabilities will be a key determinant in delivering the powerful user experiences that will help ensure employee buy-in.
Sandoval recommends enterprises take a holistic approach: “When it comes to AI workloads, it’s not all about the neural processing unit (NPU). You need to optimise across the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and NPU to get the best performance.”
Given the broad variety of AI applications and use cases that will emerge, as well as the varying needs of different business users, Sandoval also recommends that businesses take a tailored approach when selecting devices.
He says: “Delivering a great AI PC experience starts with understanding the end user’s needs. CIOs should look for AI PCs that are tailored to those needs while being backed by enterprise-grade security, manageability, performance, and power efficiency.”
Having access to a broad ecosystem of software partners is another key consideration.
AMD, for example, partners with a range of OEMs and ISVs to deliver AI PCs tailored to enterprise needs and optimised for the workloads, applications, and user experiences that will be of most benefit to their employees.
Sandoval concludes: “It’s about enabling AI applications that personalise, automate, and elevate how people work. This is the future of productivity, and one that employers and employees alike will benefit from.”
[1] IDC Analyst Brief, sponsored by AMD, “Planning for the Future: The Importance of Equipping Your Workforce with AI PCs,” doc #US52736624, December 2024
[2] Ibid