‘If leaders don't understand AI, they can't lead the company’: Accenture CEO urges leaders to master AI

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet in a recent interview shared an example of how other companies leaders can learn from her approach to train employees in the AI sector and how to use AI tools effectively.  

She emphasised that company leaders should be able to tell within three years whether their company offers different services and insights enabled by AI, emphasising that this requires leaders first deeply understand AI.  

Sweet also stressed if the leaders do not completely understand AI and its integration, they cannot lead the company and instruct their employees. She explained that leader-based learning has become a prominent part of our living, followed by bringing all employees along in the process.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, to Bloomberg Sweet said, “If leaders don’t understand AI, they can’t lead the company through the changes. In three years, you should be able to say, ‘My company has different services and has different insights.’ That requires a depth of learning from leaders first, and then you have to bring everybody along the way. So leader-led learning is absolutely critical.”

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Sweet warned the employees that AI has been an effective tool and should be used in an efficient manner and with proper understanding.  

“It’s also critical for regulators and regulated industries: if regulators block AI, they won’t be able

to scale or succeed. So governments, non-profits and companies all need leader-led learning and then a strategy to bring all of our people along,” she added.

When asked about a concrete example to greet the audience and clear their vision, Sweet replied, “Well, one of my clients told me that, until they had their 300 leaders touch keyboards and see what AI could do, they couldn’t get moving. That’s a very tangible example."

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“That’s the first thing we did way back after November 2022; most of the training was actually for our top 50 leaders who actually got their hands dirty, understanding it, and that’s what we mean by leader-led learning. And once you have that, it unlocks the possibilities of what it really means that it’s going to change everything,” she said.

Julie made it clear to the audience that use of AI and its negative impacts can hamper the company’s portfolio and profile. Managers and leaders should keep in mind its accessibility and feasibility.