CHANGE TALK

Many organizations are currently focused on introducing artificial intelligence into their operations. New tools are being added, pilots are being launched, and use cases are expanding across functions. Yet despite this activity, the overall structure of work often remains largely unchanged. What is beginning to emerge, however, is a different approach. Some organizations are moving beyond adding AI and are starting to redesign work around it. This shift marks a transition toward AI-centric organization design, where workflows, roles, and decision-making are reconfigured with AI as an integral component rather than an external addition.

By 2027, global digital transformation spending is expected to approach $4 trillion, with AI and generative AI among the primary forces driving that investment. According to McKinsey's 2025 State of AI survey, 78% of organizations already use AI in at least one business function, up from 55% only two years earlier. Similarly, Gartner predicts that within the next two years, 33% of enterprise software applications will incorporate agentic AI capabilities and that 15% of day-to-day business decisions will be made autonomously. More than half of enterprise GenAI models are also expected to become tailored to a specific industry or business function, signaling a shift from generic experimentation to embedded business capabilities.

For a long time, AI adoption in organizations largely meant introducing tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot into the workplace. Organizations focused on access, experimentation, governance, and enablement. Individuals integrated AI into parts of their daily work, and companies tried to understand where productivity gains could be realized. In many ways, AI initially entered organizations as an additional layer within existing workflows rather than as a catalyst for broader organizational change.

There’s a unique kind of excitement at the start of a new client engagement.

Nothing is fully defined yet. No fixed endpoint. No pre-set results. 

Just a shared understanding that what lies ahead will require everyone—across levels, teams, and functions—to step into unfamiliar territory. That’s where meaningful design work and change leadership can unfold. This moment also feels powerful because of a crucial early win. If an organization is ready to explore new avenues and move toward a more collaborative rather than top-down approach, a critical shift has already occurred. A willingness to question existing assumptions, involve multiple levels, and step away from predefined answers signals that the organization is not just reacting—it is ready to rethink how it operates at a deeper level.  And yet, even in these moments of openness, something else is at play.