The rapid pace of AI advances is surprising and even tech experts have captured it. Second, companies are currently working on ways to effectively integrate AI into their businesses. So, what bold steps can they take to become “ai-native” and seamlessly embed AI into their daily workflows and decision-making processes?
First and foremost, the transition to being AI-native calls for a change in mindset. Instead of viewing AI as a standalone tool, employees should view it as an integral part of how work is done.
“It’s not a conversation about individual tools, whether it’s ChatGpt or Deepseek. And then, “How can I use this technology at work at work and make it more effective with what I do?”
This means embracing AI in employees at all levels and using it to enhance productivity and decision-making. Organizations need to cultivate a culture in which AI is actively used to promote business outcomes. “It’s about helping them train and develop themselves, and then they know how to make the most of that technology,” Cloke says.
Overcoming the fear factors
However, the fear that AI will affect your work and livelihoods is far too realistic for many employees. Cloke acknowledges this concern, but argues that the true value of AI lies in its ability to make employees more efficient and replace them.
“It’s important to show people that completing certain tasks can be freed to do more valuable work,” he says. “They should see it not as a threat, but as a way to empower them.”
This requires a human-centered approach to AI. Teams need to expand knowledge that has been extended by AI and transferred from experts to amateurs, rather than employees being replaced, to ensure long-term adoption.
Cloke refers to Endava’s own journey. There, the company’s leadership team has been actively embracing AI across a variety of functions, from marketing to financial analysis. “They ask, ‘What can you do as a human to make your life easier?”
Modernizing legacy systems
Another of the biggest challenges facing organizations as AI-native is the need to prepare legacy IT systems and infrastructure for AI. Cloke explains that many companies are building “veneers” or layers on an outdated core platform that limits their ability to fully utilize AI.
“When you think of an organization like a bank, at the heart of that environment is the value chain of the system that brings things together,” he says. “In many cases, the problem is that the people who created that technology or who knew how to change it no longer exists within the organization.”
Cloke argues that this approach just gets you so far. To truly unlock the power of AI, organizations need to be willing to tackle the core modernization of legacy systems.
“AI models know better than many people about legacy technicians like COBOL and AS/400,” he says. “Organisations with large legacy estates can bring together data within their organization in new ways, enabling potentially new business models and new ways to interact with customers.
This may seem like a difficult task, but Cloke says that your investment can pay dividends.
“I’ve had experience talking to clients and when I showed what I could do with AI in this field, I said, “I couldn’t even estimate how long it would take to make changes because I couldn’t even complete the project before.
Crawl, walk, run
For organizations looking to embark on their AI-Native journey, Cloke recommends a simple, step-by-step approach.
“Crawl, walk, run,” he says. “What can I do now? What is the next thing I can do, what is as simple as possible to allow me to go on this journey?”
Crawl: The first step is to open up to the idea that even the most complex legacy systems can be modernized with the help of AI. “Historically, people have said, ‘No, that’s too complicated.’ Meanwhile, there’s the ability and refinement to infer and begin to separate from it,” Cloke explains.
Walk: From there, organizations need to focus on integrating AI into their daily workflows, and gradually demonstrate their benefits to a wider team. “I start by showing others how I accept this technology,” he says.
Run: Finally, there is a place where you run with AI. “You’re in everything – you’ve accepted it, it’s everything you do and you see the profit,” adds Cloke.
Competition orders
Cloke warns that the pace of AI progress is so fast that businesses cannot “wait and watch.”
“If you’re a business leader who hopes this will somehow be slower and doesn’t happen to you, then I think you’re the wrong business leader,” he says.
Cloke points to examples like Klarna, a payment company that employs AI-powered customer support as evidence that early adopters gain a significant competitive edge. “If you adopt this technology and stay behind in terms of moving forward, it’s going to be difficult to keep up,” he says.
“The longer people wait, the more everyone is getting faster and faster, so they fall even later.”
For businesses that are trying to base themselves on their future, the message is clear. It’s time to become AI-Native. As Cloke puts it, “If you think the speed of change has increased through 2024, see what happens in 2025.”
For more information about becoming an AI-Native organization, visit Endava
The rapid pace of AI advances is surprising and even tech experts have captured it. Second, companies are currently working on ways to effectively integrate AI into their businesses. So, what bold steps can they take to become “ai-native” and seamlessly embed AI into their daily workflows and decision-making processes?
First and foremost, the transition to being AI-native calls for a change in mindset. Instead of viewing AI as a standalone tool, employees should view it as an integral part of how work is done.
“It’s not a conversation about individual tools, whether it’s ChatGpt or Deepseek. And then, “How can I use this technology at work at work and make it more effective with what I do?”
