3 Embrace the cloud to train AI
The true advantage is not in building your own AI infrastructure, but partnering with trusted and secure third-party platforms to train AI on your own proprietary data sources.
So, if you’re not already all in on the cloud, now’s the time.
“If infrastructure technology is not your core competency, it will be too expensive to do this on your own,” says Tachibana. “The cloud democratizes everything—it gives you the tools to accelerate your own tech development from years to weeks. Your infrastructure can be as good as any Fortune 50 company.”
Jean-Marc Laouchez, President Korn Ferry Institute, describes this as building an AI factory, “a combination of data, hardware—often in partnership with Amazon or Google or Microsoft—and software, which then translates into actual value in the marketplace.”
![Making Generative AI Happen](https://www.kornferry.com/content/dam/kornferry-v2/featured-topics/future-of-work/Making-Generative-AI-Happen-AI-Webinar.jpg)
4 Take your teams on a change crusade
Most CEOs believe their workforce is not fully prepared for AI integration, and of those we surveyed almost 44% think employees will need to develop new skills to equip themselves for the AI-driven business environment. Employee resistance to change is one of the biggest potential barriers.
Tachibana says real and lasting change depends on how well you manage its impacts on people.
“It’s like upgrading your horse and buggy tech platform to a Lamborghini, but then hitching up your old horses of culture, leadership, innovation, governance and controls. You have to transform the whole business, not just the tech,” he explains.
Randall says this might also include transforming the Board’s mindset, as what worked in the past won’t necessarily work tomorrow. He reflected on a recent roundtable in Singapore, where leaders shared concerns that some board members lack the transformation experience to run that type of agenda today, or had knowledge gaps to fill.
AI change is not a technology project. It’s a business change initiative that involves everyone.
As Laouchez explained in the webinar, “generative AI is not only an IT play, it’s a human play. Bringing tech and people together is the key success factor.”
Ultimately, this means leaders need to reinforce the potential for positive change. The principles of Korn Ferry’s radically human communication checklist can help to provide guidance here.
Tachibana agrees some jobs may disappear, but others—like prompt engineer—will emerge.
“This is not about cost cutting, it’s about value driving. Tell that story: how it’s going to allow us to grow 10x, not cut by half.”
To learn more about what the future of AI could mean for your workplace, watch the full webinar.