The transformative potential of artificial intelligence is redefining AI in enterprise strategy, shifting from experimentation to enterprise-wide applications.

No longer confined to information technology departments, AI is driving innovation and enabling senior executives to reimagine value creation and risk management, according to Brian Bohan (pictured), global lead and consulting partner center of excellence at Amazon Web Services Inc.

AWS’ Brian Bohan talks with theCUBE about AI’s role in business transformation, governance and the criticality of centers of excellence.

“Now is the time for practical AI,” he said. “It’s about getting into enterprise scale. You’ve got to have the right infrastructure for the right cost, for the performance … the right security, the right governance and the right … organizational structure.”

Bohan spoke with theCUBE Research’s John Furrier for theCUBE’s “Cloud AWS re:Invent coverage,” during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed AI’s role in business transformation, the criticality of governance and the growing influence of centers of excellence.

AI in enterprise strategy: From experimentation to practical impact

Centers of excellence have become essential for organizations adopting AI in enterprise strategy at scale. These hubs bring together stakeholders to identify opportunities, prioritize impactful use cases and establish governance frameworks. Consulting partners such as Slalom LLC and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. are leading the way, helping clients such as United Airlines Inc. and TP ICAP Group PLC leverage AI to address specific business needs, according to Bohan.

“It really starts with the art of the possible, bringing in a set of business leaders into conversations at the table where they hadn’t been before,” he said. “Now, they can really see how this technology applies to their businesses. It can change their businesses and change how they’re interacting with their downstream customers. It opens up all kinds of possibilities, and so it really starts with a visioning exercise.”

Governance remains a cornerstone of scaling AI responsibly. Accenture Inc.’s responsible AI platform, powered by Amazon Web Services’ Bedrock, translates compliance policies into actionable safeguards, enabling companies to adapt to regulatory changes while maintaining operational integrity, according to Bohan.

“They built a responsible AI platform on Bedrock, and what allows you to do that is you can take those policies, instantiate them in the Accenture platform, and then before you go to production, it’ll run a series of checks and tell you where you’re in violation of those policies and give you remediation options,” Bohan said. “But we know things change. Data changes, policies change [and] regulations change. It’s an evergreen checking and monitoring that happens.”

Another significant development is the tailored application of AI to specific roles, such as chief financial officers and chief marketing officers, to enhance measurable business outcomes. For CFOs, AI-powered tools streamline financial decision-making by focusing on return on investment and value creation. At the same time, marketing leaders use generative AI to refine processes across their workflows, according to Bohan.

“We’ve turned the CFO into a customer deriving benefit,” Bohan said. “It’s about applying gen AI into end-to-end workflows, bringing a new set of decision-makers to the table.”

Looking ahead, AWS continues collaborating with consulting partners to create industry-specific solutions, advancing AI in enterprise strategy while fostering innovation. Tools such as Infosys Ltd.’s Topaz and Wipro Ltd.’s Studio 360, built on AWS Bedrock, empower businesses to innovate and tackle unique challenges.

“It’s all about execution,” Bohan said. “[It’s about] getting in the market, working with our account teams and our customers about landing those solutions, landing those projects and delivering value.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s “Cloud AWS re:Invent coverage”:

Photo: SiliconANGLE