What happened
At Fortune's inaugural AIQ Summit, HPE chief people officer Stacy Dillow said companies must rethink how work gets done, not retrofit AI into old processes, and Palo Alto Networks' Danielle Gonzalez said a custom AI agent cut IT tickets by 83%.
Why it matters
If AI is retrofitted rather than used to redesign work, companies get the same answers as before, and leaders who skip AI adoption risk not doing their jobs, according to the executives.
What to watch
Only 9% of organizations have made meaningful progress on complex autonomous workflows, according to ServiceNow, so the shift hinges on whether firms change hiring and training — Palo Alto Networks uses observable interviews and hackathons, while Lennar's Drew Holler says upskilling is each worker's responsibility.
WHO IT HITSChief people officers and HR leaders at large enterprises will need to rethink hiring criteria and job structures; workers in roles like IT support and HR operations face the most immediate change as AI agents take over routine queries.
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Fortune's inaugural AIQ Summit brought together chief people officers from HPE, Palo Alto Networks — which ranks No. 49 on the Fortune AIQ 75 list — and $19 billion homebuilder Lennar. Their message was that AI adoption has moved from experiment to everyday operating reality, but most companies have not redesigned the work itself. According to ServiceNow, just 9% have made meaningful progress building complex autonomous workflows.
HPE's Stacy Dillow framed the problem as one of retrofitting AI into processes that were never built for it, which she said will not give a different answer. Palo Alto Networks' Danielle Gonzalez described how a custom AI agent reduced IT tickets by 83% and now handles workflows across HR, finance and legal, with employees self-serving answers rather than calling a person.
The stakes appear to hinge on whether companies treat AI as a reason to change hiring and skills expectations, or merely as a tool layered on top. Palo Alto Networks has moved to observable interviews and hackathons; Lennar's Drew Holler said tools and training will be provided but upskilling is each worker's responsibility. The test is likely to be whether that responsibility is widely taken up, since only a small share of organizations report progress on autonomous workflows.
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