OpenText executive vice president Shannon Bell explains why her job now requires managing human and digital resources.
We're back with another fireside chat, recorded live on the BetaKit Keynote Stage at: SAAS NORTH.
This time we are talking about AI, or more precisely, the implementation of AI. This has been a recurring topic of conversation on the podcast this year, but rarely have we had the opportunity to discuss adoption on this scale.
“The technology is there and everyone loves cool technology, but it doesn't have to be a party gimmick. It has to be something that will drive meaningful business results, so choose your challenges.”
Shannon Bell
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Waterloo-based software company OpenText has more than 22,000 employees, and I spoke with Shannon Bell (executive vice president, chief digital officer and chief information officer) about exactly how one of Canada's largest tech companies went all in on AI.
BetaKit wrote at some length about OpenText's artificial intelligence plans this year—what CEO Mark Barrenechea called the company's “number one priority” before he was eventually replaced—and how those plans coincided with employee layoffs.
But this conversation is not only about layoffs. While Bell admits the company was looking to save $1 billion in non-personnel costs, OpenText found that cuts in junior positions due to AI were offset by increases in staff in more senior positions—which Bell sees as an opportunity to move positions to Canada.
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One of the consequences of Opentext's adoption of AI is that Bell now views his job as managing people and digital resources. But what do the roles and responsibilities of human and OpenText AI agents look like? And what did the company learn about implementation and return on investment?
There's more to come, so let's dig in.
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Recorded live on the BetaKit Keynote stage at SAAS NORTH. Image courtesy of SAAS NORTH.
