Generative artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of productivity, transforming how businesses access, analyze and act on their data. At the forefront of this revolution is Dilip Kumar, head of Q for Business at Amazon Web Services Inc.

In an exclusive conversation at AWS headquarters in Seattle, Dilip revealed how Q for Business empowers organizations to streamline workflows, harmonize data and unlock untapped potential through generative AI.

“Businesses have treasure troves of data, but they’re often siloed and hard to access,” Dilip explained. “Q App Studio and for Q Business bridges that gap, enabling individuals and teams to work smarter, faster and more collaboratively.”

Video exclusive: a conversation with Dilip Kumar

Productivity redefined: from SQL to seamless workflows

AWS Q for Business is a solution for modern challenges, where business users often face roadblocks in accessing data and creating actionable insights. Dilip highlighted how Q for Business is transforming workflows across organizations by:

1. Harmonizing data silos:
   “With Q for Business, users can access structured and unstructured data seamlessly — whether it’s from SQL databases, SharePoint or wikis — without needing deep technical expertise.”

2. Enhancing team productivity:
   “Q for Business doesn’t just provide answers; it transforms them into actions,” Dilip said. “With features like Q Apps, repetitive tasks — such as generating weekly sales reports — are automated and shared across teams. You can go from individual productivity to team and department-wide impact in just a few steps.”

3. Democratizing technology for business users:
   “English is becoming the coding language of the future,” Dilip said, emphasizing how Q for Business empowers nontechnical users to describe what they need and let the AI handle the heavy lifting.

Bridging IT and business: a new harmony

Generative AI is reshaping the dynamics between IT and business teams, fostering collaboration rather than friction. Historically, IT was tasked with provisioning technology for business users. Now, business users are leveraging tools like Q for Business to directly drive value.

“The business people are the new IT, Business users are no longer just consuming technology—they’re using it to be productive and to serve their organizations better,” Dilip explained.

This shift is creating a more harmonious workplace, where technology eliminates mundane tasks and enables employees to focus on strategic goals.

From search to action: the power of Q Apps

At the heart of Q for Business is Q Apps, a low-code solution that empowers users to create and automate tasks with ease.

“Q Apps allow users to automate repetitive workflows and share them across teams,” Dilip said. “It’s a simple, intuitive process that transforms how businesses operate.”

Popular use cases for Q Apps include:

• Sales and HR automation: Automating reports, resume searches and onboarding processes.
• Manufacturing support: Equipping technicians with instant access to manuals and troubleshooting guides, reducing the expertise gap.
• Custom applications: Teams are using Q Apps for tasks ranging from pricing agreements to interview preparation.

Harmonizing data: a game-changer for enterprises

One of the most significant challenges enterprises face is integrating data across multiple systems and formats. Q for Business addresses this by harmonizing structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data into a unified, actionable platform.

“Q for Business doesn’t just deliver search results — it completes the discovery loop,” Dilip said. “It provides context, memory, and actionable insights that drive workflows forward.”

This capability transforms enterprise search into enterprise action, enabling users to go beyond finding answers to solving problems.

Driving productivity: the killer app of gen AI

As businesses adopt generative AI, one value proposition stands out: productivity. From automating workflows to reducing friction between teams, Q for Business is delivering step-function improvements in efficiency.

“When you remove undifferentiated heavy lifting, you give people the freedom to focus on meaningful work,” Dilip said. “It’s incredibly liberating and harmonizing.”

This is especially evident in how generative AI transforms interactions between developers and business users. Friction is replaced by collaboration, with AI enabling each group to focus on their strengths.

Getting started with Q for Business

Implementing Q for Business is designed to be simple and accessible:

1. Onboard your data: Point to data sources like S3 buckets, SharePoint, or Salesforce using AWS’ extensive connectors.
2. Index and organize: Administrators set up access permissions and ensure data is properly indexed.
3. Create Q Apps: Automate repetitive tasks and share them across teams.
4. Start using immediately: Users can begin benefiting from Q for Business on day one, even as more data is indexed over time.

“You can start with basic search and quickly progress to building apps that automate and scale workflows across your organization,” Dilip explained.

Looking ahead: The future of agentic systems

Q for Business represents the first step toward more advanced agentic systems—AI tools that can autonomously decompose complex queries, execute tasks, and deliver orchestrated solutions.

“The key is orchestration,” Dilip said. “It’s about breaking down problems into manageable pieces and composing solutions that work seamlessly for the user.”

Bottom line: A golden age of productivity

As AWS continues to innovate with Q for Business, the potential for generative AI to transform industries is clear. From harmonizing data to automating workflows, Q for Business is not just a tool — it’s a catalyst for change.

“We’re in a golden age of productivity,” Dilip concluded. “The combination of generative AI, data harmonization and actionable insights is redefining what’s possible in the workplace.”

For businesses ready to embrace this new era, Q for Business offers a powerful, intuitive platform to unlock the future of work.

Photo: SiliconANGLE