"Scale smart and stay secure"
Q&A with Rusbeh Hashemian, Partner, PwC Germany
Rusbeh HashemianPartner, PwC Germany
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Rusbeh Hashemian on balancing accelerated innovation and decision making with staying compliant and responsible.
Why is AI such a game changer?Firstly, AI is accessible to everyone across the world. But it’s more about what it can do – its potential to process vast amounts of data is incredible. So, the level of innovation it can unlock right across organisations – as well as in societies – is completely unprecedented. But it’s all about how you use it. So, we’re helping clients realise this potential, from blueprint to breakthrough.
How do you think it will change business?We tell clients that it will enable them to look at value creation in a very different way. It allows you to be more efficient and productive and unlock more potential – by giving your people more time to focus on what the customer needs.
What sort of businesses are best placed to innovate with AI?Many have a great starting point to unlock greater value: past success, loyal customers, trusted brands – and lots of data. Those who are innovation led, that have embraced technology developments and have a culture of lifelong learning tick all of the boxes, and may already be investing in AI upskilling. We’re helping our clients to accelerate their AI transformation, as we’ve already undertaken our own, across our network.
What should businesses do to work responsibly with AI?PwC are leaders in responsible AI and it’s actually very broad – from transparency and accountability to governance of processes and data use. For AI to deliver, it needs to scale smart and stay secure. So, it’s about giving your people the right upskilling to use it responsibly, in an everyday world. Secondly, it's about putting the right governance and structures around it to control what's going on.
Thirdly, it’s crucial to build AI systems that provide transparency – so you can understand and audit how it’s being used.
How do you build trust both inside the business and for customers?This relies on the responsible use of the technology. PwC advise on everything from how to design, use and implement systems to ensuring what we call traceable AI – so, not only providing the output, but also information on how that output has been generated. And we tailor it to the organisation – so you not only benefit from faster, more reliable results, but also consistency and responsibility.
How can AI unleash human productivity and problem solving?Until now, employees have mostly had to undertake tasks that are highly repetitive and not very enjoyable. AI can do a lot of that, much quicker and more accurately. So, it frees up that time, boosting productivity and letting people focus on what they do best – human ingenuity and innovation.
What’s the balancing act as businesses start to adopt AI?There are so many. Strategically, we say it's about staying true to who you were and innovating to get where you and your customers want you to be. On a practical level, you need to balance accelerated innovation and decision making with staying compliant and responsible. It’s also about understanding what your employees are expecting from you, while encouraging them to use AI and optimise their capabilities.
For AI to deliver, it needs to scale smart and stay secure. So it’s about giving your people the right upskilling to use it responsibly, in an everyday world.
Is AI, like computers, just another tool? Yes and no. It has far more intelligence and will only get smarter, so control will be a huge balance. PwC has always been human-led, tech-powered. Now it's even more relevant to think like that. What we hear a lot is, ‘keep the human in the loop’. But we tell clients it's more important to turn that around: ‘keep the human in the centre and keep the technology in the loop’.
As you discuss AI with clients, what’s the recurring theme?Many of our clients fear AI's impact on their businesses and jobs. But, looking at the vast opportunities, we are more optimistic. Each new generation of employees will be much more AI-native. Now we're seeing agentic systems, which will help them to create whole new processes and levels of efficiency – reshaping entire organisational cultures and roles. It makes AI fluency crucial for success – so stay curious, embrace learning and harness the opportunities to engage customers and expand markets.
Stay curious, embrace learning and harness the opportunities to engage customers and expand markets.
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