By Bharat Chadha, Partner, Tech Consulting at Uniqus Consultech
Artificial Intelligence today is no longer a frontier technology; it is central to enterprise transformation. On AI Appreciation Day, it is important to not only recognise the technological progress but to examine how AI is reshaping the enterprise value chain, augmenting human potential, and prompting new capabilities and responsibilities across functions.
In recent years, enterprises have evolved from deploying rule-based automation to embracing advanced AI systems, machine learning models, large language models, and agentic AI. These systems are now embedded across operations, finance, compliance, and customer functions, enabling real-time insights, contextual decision-making, and autonomous execution of complex workflows.
AI is also catalysing a shift in workforce dynamics. The most significant impact is not workforce displacement, but workforce evolution. As AI tools become embedded in business processes, employees must develop new skills: data literacy, prompt engineering, critical oversight of AI-generated insights, and an understanding of ethical and responsible AI use. Enterprises face the dual imperative of scaling AI adoption while simultaneously reskilling and upskilling their workforce. This challenge is particularly acute in large organisations with legacy systems and heterogeneous skill levels. Many struggles with change management, fear of displacement, and limited internal AI literacy beyond technical teams.
Over the next 1–3 years, AI will become more pervasive and integrated. Agentic AI systems are capable of learning, reasoning, and taking initiative, and increasingly managing dynamic tasks such as risk detection, workflow orchestration, and decision support. AI will also become more accessible, with the rise of low-code tools, embedded copilots, and conversational interfaces, business users will be empowered to leverage AI independently of data science teams. This democratisation of AI has the potential to accelerate innovation, but only if accompanied by robust governance.
However, AI implementation at scale is far from frictionless. Enterprises face multiple challenges: fragmented data infrastructure, lack of model explainability, siloed development teams, and difficulty aligning AI initiatives with business outcomes. AI models deployed in production must be continuously monitored for drift, fairness, and performance, yet many organisations lack the tooling and processes to do so reliably. Moreover, regulatory scrutiny is increasing. The EU AI Act, U.S. executive orders, and national frameworks introduce new compliance expectations around risk classification, transparency, and accountability. For enterprises, this means AI governance is no longer optional; it must be integrated into the development lifecycle.
Despite these challenges, the opportunity remains immense. AI is transforming how problems are approached and how value is delivered. The most successful organisations will be those that treat AI not as a standalone initiative but as a core capability anchored in business strategy, responsible practices, and human empowerment.
AI Appreciation Day offers a timely reminder that the real power of AI lies in how it enhances decision-making, fosters agility, and unlocks new frontiers of innovation when aligned with human purpose and institutional integrity.