PwC Executives Discuss Generative AI’s Role in Business Transformation During CIO-100 Summit
By Lane F. Cooper, Editorial Director, BizTechReports, Moderator, CIO.com
During executive sessions at the CIO-100 summit in Colorado Springs, top enterprise technology leaders from across the country discussed the transformative impact of generative AI on technology modernization and business transformation. Key issues explored by executive roundtable and dinner discussions co-hosted by CIO.com and PwC, revolved around the impact that generative AI is having on creating business efficiencies while simultaneously driving innovation. This, participating executives noted, is transforming the strategic role of CIOs as enterprises increasingly integrate emerging technologies like AI into their core functions and value-propositions.
Jenny Koehler, Chief Operating Officer for PwC’s Advisory Practice
"One thing was perfectly clear from these discussions at the CIO-100 summit,” said Koehler. “There's no such thing as a business strategy without a technology strategy. Generative AI has sharpened that focus and hastened the sense of urgency for organizations to harness this technology to achieve top and bottom line objectives."
Koehler observed that many companies have accelerated their technology plans -- or shifted strategies entirely -- due to the disruptive nature of AI, an insight that echoed throughout the executive sessions. Indeed, added Priest, AI has already become an integral part of boardroom and C-suite conversations. But it would be a mistake to see the focus on AI as a sudden phenomenon.
"It’s an overnight success that was 70 years in the making," Priest remarked. He likened generative AI to "general-purpose technologies," such as the internet -- and later the cloud -- which have had broad economic impact across industries.
As a result, organizations -- and even nations -- that effectively integrate generative AI into their strategic thinking will likely gain significant competitive advantage in the global economy through Increased efficiency, innovation, and productivity.
Redefining Enterprise Technology and the Role of the CIO
As companies explore how to incorporate AI into their business models, the conversations touched on the changing role of CIOs. Koehler and Priest both noted that the responsibilities of CIOs have expanded dramatically in recent years.
Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer, PwC
"CIOs are no longer just running technology; they’re becoming chief integration officers that are delivering increasingly high levels of strategic value by breaking down silos and connecting different parts of the organization in ways that have never been done before. And with AI they are enabling faster, more seamless communication across functions,” said Koehler
AI, explained Priest makes it possible for information to travel quickly across applications, processes and functions to unlock value that is often trapped in islands of automation.
"As a result, the days of optimizing within a single department in isolation of the rest of the organization may be on their way to being over. It's now about optimizing horizontally across the entire enterprise."
Trusted Disrupter
Capitalizing on the opportunity to "break down silos" sooner rather than later will require significant change management that goes beyond minor adjustments to functional operations. As Koehler pointed out, this process will be disruptive.
An important emerging role for the CIO is to help their organizations prepare for these disruptions. While being a "trusted disruptor" is not without its challenges, few executives are as well positioned to provide this critical service.
"CIOs must make complex technology meaningful for their executive teams while providing operational context to mid-management and rank-and-file staff ," Koehler said. "Once that trust is established, organizations are more likely to embrace disruption in a safe and structured way."
Trust, emphasized Priest, is important because of the impact that AI will inevitably have on the way everyone works and adds value to their organizations. As people come to grips with this realization, senior leaders -- especially CIOs -- must underscore that the adoption of AI is not about replacing people but empowering them.
"AI will emphasize the human qualities that we bring to teams," he said. "Let AI handle complexity and automation, while humans focus on creativity, strategy, and decision-making."
Success Hinges on Bottom-Up and Top-Down Engagement
As companies look to operationalize AI, Koehler noted that the process starts with broad-based education. "Awareness and education are crucial," she said. "But there are also foundational decisions around data governance, platform selection, and security protocols that need to be made."
That is why it is important to establish a strategic, top-down approach to AI investment is essential.
"It’s important to evaluate AI’s potential impact across different business functions," he said. "A bottom-up approach is also important, but it may miss the broader, more transformative opportunities. By taking a top-down view, organizations can place smart bets on the areas where AI will have the most significant impact."
Above all, both noted, is the imperative to explore and exploit the opportunities presented by AI as a strategic element of technology modernization and business transformation while navigating the extremes of unbridled enthusiasm and paralyzing fear.
That said, while becoming overly enthusiastic about AI may introduce certain risks, such as over-reliance on immature technologies or unproven use cases, these risks are manageable compared to the significant downside of inaction. Being overly cautious could leave organizations behind, especially as AI increasingly defines the future of industries, enabling automation, data-driven insights, and operational efficiencies at scale.
"In the final analysis, the risk of being a zealot for AI is relatively low compared to the risk of being a skeptic and sitting on the sidelines," said Priest. "I expect that leaders who embrace AI and push their teams to innovate will come out ahead."
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Editorial Note: To view the full interview with PwC’s Jenny Koehler and Dan Priest, click here.