PwC Chair Urges Businesses to Position AI as a ‘Digital Colleague’

AI should be seen as a workplace partner rather than a threat, according to Mohamed Kande, global chairman of PwC. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Kande encouraged businesses to expose employees to AI tools, helping them view the technology as a “digital colleague.”

Fostering Collaboration with AI

“People fear what they don’t understand,” Kande said during a panel discussion. “Exposing them to the technology, putting it in their hands, makes a big difference.” He emphasized that employees should think of AI as a partner in the workplace, saying, “You don’t fear your colleagues, you partner with them. So we are actually asking people to partner with the technology.”

Kande also dismissed the notion that AI adoption must be driven solely by top-down initiatives, stressing that the benefits of AI should originate from employees themselves. “There is this fallacy of believing that the benefits of augmentation have to come from management. It has to come from the people,” he said.

The Rise of AI Agents

Kande’s comments align with perspectives shared by other tech leaders, such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who see AI as a key driver of workplace productivity.

• Jensen Huang (Nvidia): During an October podcast, Huang envisioned Nvidia as a company with “50,000 employees with 100 million AI assistants in every single group,” where AI agents tackle repetitive tasks to amplify human capabilities.

• Marc Benioff (Salesforce): On Salesforce’s earnings call, Benioff described the company as the “largest supplier of digital labor” through its Agentforce platform, which allows clients to create custom AI agents. He noted that productivity is no longer tied to workforce growth but to scalable, intelligent technologies. PwC itself has adopted Salesforce’s Agentforce product, using it to guide clients in integrating AI agents into their operations.

AI Anxiety Persists Among Employees

Despite these optimistic views, concerns about AI replacing jobs remain prevalent. A 2024 survey by Boston Consulting Group revealed that employees who regularly use generative AI tools are more likely to worry about job loss than those who do not.

• 49% of regular generative AI users believe their jobs may disappear within the next decade.

• 24% of non-users expressed the same concern.

These findings highlight the dual challenge companies face: embracing AI as a transformative tool while addressing employee anxieties about automation. For many employees, this fear doesn’t stem from using AI itself but rather from a lack of clarity about how AI will reshape their industries and roles over time, leaving them uncertain about the long-term impact of automation.

What This Means

AI’s integration into the workplace is inevitable, but fostering trust and collaboration between employees and AI tools is crucial. Leaders like Mohamed Kande are advocating for a mindset shift, encouraging employees to view AI as an ally that enhances their productivity rather than a competitor for their roles.

By putting AI into employees’ hands and involving them in its adoption, companies can empower their workforce to embrace the technology as a partner in achieving shared goals.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.