Are businesses investing in tomorrow's artificial intelligence while continuing to operate with yesterday's organizational structures? And could that explain why so many enterprise AI initiatives struggle to deliver the results leaders expect?
In this episode of AI at Work, Neil C. Hughes is joined by Jesper Schleimann, Head of Business AI for EMEA at SAP, to discuss why adopting AI technology and achieving meaningful business transformation are two very different challenges.
Jesper shares what he's seeing across organizations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where AI adoption is accelerating but progress remains uneven. While some businesses are already reporting improvements in productivity and customer service, others are discovering that isolated projects and impressive demonstrations do not automatically translate into business value.
The conversation examines why companies need to begin with a business problem rather than a technology solution, and why adding AI to inefficient processes can limit its potential.
They also discuss the growing interest in autonomous AI agents and the practical realities of allowing intelligent systems to take action inside an enterprise. Jesper explains why business context, defined authority, reliable data, and human accountability all play an important role in building trust.
As businesses progress toward increasingly autonomous operations, what happens to traditional management structures? How should leaders decide when humans need to intervene? And could the greatest opportunity come from redesigning how work happens rather than simply making existing tasks faster?
Jesper also introduces ideas from his book, The Intent-Driven Leader, which examines the changes in leadership and organizational thinking required as AI becomes more capable.
With companies investing heavily in enterprise AI, this conversation offers a timely reminder that technology alone cannot deliver organizational transformation.
Are businesses ready to rethink the way they operate, or will familiar structures and habits continue to limit what AI can achieve?
