Microsoft's Copilot rollout

Microsoft introduced Copilot to sales teams but employees stopped using it because it didn't fit their workflow.

“they didn't see it as useful in the flow of their work”

Microsoft's solution

Engineers shadowed sales reps to create specialized tools like Sales Chat that help account executives prepare for meetings.

Yahoo's AI challenge

Yahoo's teams experimented with AI on side projects but couldn't integrate it into core software due to outdated development tools.

“it became a kind of go-slow-to-go-fast moment for the company”

Yahoo's pilot approach

Yahoo ran pilots to test retooling code and development tools for four to six weeks before expanding ai efforts company-wide.

Qualcomm's AI applications

Qualcomm uses ai for finance, sales, human resources and product management including semiconductor program coordination.

AI infrastructure needs

Companies need to prepare for internet connectivity, processing requirements, data costs and sensitive data restrictions before deploying ai.

AI oversight challenges

Technology leaders must establish guardrails and traceability to investigate how automated decisions were reached and where errors occurred.

International regulatory risks

Expanding ai pilots internationally can face unexpected regulatory obstacles like data sovereignty and privacy requirements.

“it becomes a showstopper or something really hard that they hadn't foreseen”

Dual leadership model

Companies need strategic leadership with business and finance executives plus an operating group for engineering, product, legal and compliance.

“you need to do both of them prove every dollar and move fast”

Yahoo's employee support

Yahoo provided coaching, resources and no-fault opt-out paths for employees struggling with ai tool adoption.

“this can be scary or challenging or really emotionally fraught”

Microsoft's peer learning

Microsoft holds weekly meetings with 15 employees in the same role to share ai tool experiences and next steps.

Future skills needed

As ai takes on more execution, employees need stronger business judgment, domain expertise and organizational understanding.

“we can't future-proof any one specific job but we can help you future-proof your career”