For leaders who are steering enterprise transformation, the phrase “AI-ready talent” has become a sort of lodestar — and a liability.
AI certifications are multiplying at a remarkable pace. New badges, micro-credentials, and “expert”
Generative AI adoption inside enterprises is accelerating faster than organizational skill maturity can realistically keep up.
AI budgets are no longer experimental line items. In 2025, they represent long-term capital commitments that shape enterprise risk, operating models, and competitive advantage.
Across boardrooms, AI transformation is framed as an inevitable efficiency play: automate processes, deploy models, and unlock margin.
Across boardrooms and executive meetings, AI is discussed with urgency but little shared clarity.
For most enterprises, AI began as an automation story. Reduce cost. Accelerate workflows. Eliminate friction. Early gains validated the promise—but also exposed the limits.
“AI-first” has become the new shorthand for ambition. Boards expect it. Investors reward it. Leadership teams feel exposed without it.