At the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, artificial intelligence (AI) became a hot topic, with many industry leaders emphasizing that retraining employees is crucial to fully harness the transformative potential of AI. Rishad Premji, Executive Chairman of Wipro Limited, pointed out in an interview with NDTV that successful AI adoption is closely tied to the key factor of retraining employees. For business executives and ERP leaders, this insight highlights a strategic necessity—organizations must prioritize employee retraining to fully leverage AI's potential in an increasingly AI-driven era and ensure workforce preparedness and resilience.
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Premji clearly stated that the value of AI lies not only in its technological capabilities but also in how effectively it is deployed and utilized to solve business problems. However, the pace of AI development far exceeds organizations' capacity to adopt it, and bridging this gap requires a dual approach: focusing on both technology and people. He mentioned, “The success of AI adoption will be closely linked to our retraining agenda as companies, industries, and nations.” Retraining is not just a passive measure against job redundancy but an active strategy aimed at cultivating an AI-ready workforce capable of driving innovation and operational excellence.
In this regard, Wipro's approach provides a blueprint for other organizations. Premji revealed that Wipro has made AI “ubiquitous” within the company, starting with a comprehensive retraining program. In the past year, 235,000 employees have received basic training in generative AI, with 50,000 further enhancing their skills to achieve certification. This structured approach ensures that employees at all levels possess the mindset and skills necessary to effectively leverage AI.
Wipro's strategy focuses on three key areas: operational efficiency, enhanced delivery, and innovation. For instance, the company is using AI to streamline complex processes, distilling 400-page legal documents into actionable insights. This not only improves efficiency but also allows employees to focus on higher-value tasks. Additionally, AI is being deployed to optimize project delivery and develop specific application cases to achieve measurable business outcomes.
However, Premji also emphasized that legacy systems, unstructured data, and outdated applications remain barriers to fully leveraging AI. ERP and other technology leaders must address these obstacles by modernizing the IT ecosystem to ensure data is well-structured and accessible. As Premji stated, “Without data, there is no AI.” Organizations that invest in data architecture and governance are more likely to unlock the transformative potential of AI.
