Whether it’s unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence-powered businesses or helping companies navigate the intricacies of data integration, AI is having a profound impact on businesses worldwide. Generative AI represents more than just a technological advancement – it is a catalyst for organizational evolution, enabling companies to unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable growth in the digital age.
“Digital transformation was really about looking at a whole range of projects to digitize internal operations or create digital native companies,” said Ayon Banerjee (pictured right), chief strategy and growth officer of Persistent Systems Ltd. “I think the narrative is now it starts more from the top down than from the bottom up. I think that’s a clear difference that we’re seeing.”
Banerjee and Caroline Yap (left), managing director of global AI business and applied engineering at Google LLC, spoke with theCUBE Research Executive Analyst John Furrier at the Accelerating Innovation With Persistent event in an exclusive interview on theCUBE, the Live streaming from SiliconANGLE Media Studio. They discussed the transformative potential of generative AI and its profound impact on businesses worldwide. (*Disclosure below.)
The evolution of generative AI: From concept to reality
Companies are increasingly recognizing the need to use AI to gain deeper insights and drive strategic decisions. According to Yap, generative AI brings tangible business value and highlights the paradigm shift where AI is no longer limited to the domain of data scientists but is embraced by organizations across all sectors.
“I think it’s been great to see the technology and tools being used in a way that really adds value,” she said.
As AI has advanced, it has become more practical and is no longer just an experiment but a critical enabler of business transformation. According to Banerjee, generative AI has played a crucial role in driving enterprise-level KPIs and shifting towards business transformation rather than just digital transformation.
“I think digital transformation for me is more about business than digital transformation, with digital being just one tool in the toolbox,” he said.
Empowering businesses through data and AI integration
The practical implications of generative AI in real-world scenarios were also discussed. Data accessibility and design considerations play an important role in unlocking the full potential of AI. According to Banerjee, it is crucial to identify relevant data sources and develop strategies to effectively use structured, unstructured and synthetic data.
“It’s not just about available data that’s available to the business or data that’s available in a public, large-scale language model,” he said. “This is all going to happen based on structured/unstructured data and synthetic data… Data is everywhere and that’s really where the future lies.”
There is also a future in which AI can be seamlessly integrated into the structure of organizations, increasing operational efficiency and enabling the further development of human capital. Partnerships will play a critical role, such as the collaborations between Google and Persistent, to unlock new opportunities and accelerate innovation on a global scale.
“I think skills development today is probably the most important thing that everyone needs to move forward,” Yap said. “Many people assume that AI will eliminate huge amounts of jobs. We need to make sure that we have really good human capital development, but also reskilling of people so that they can move into these future roles where AI is absolutely natural and not just another tool but really part of the core system. ”
Here is the full video interview, part of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE Research’s coverage of the “Accelerating Innovation With Persistent” event:
(*Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Accelerating Innovation With Persistent event. Neither Persistent Systems Ltd. nor other sponsors have editorial control over theCUBE or SiliconANGLE content.)