Scaling artificial intelligence can create a massive competitive advantage, but it’s not enough to invest in cutting-edge technologies and algorithms. You need to rewire decision making and operations to extract value—and invest in human capabilities to make it stick. At BCG, we refer to this as the 10, 20, 70 rule.
The pioneers of AI at scale—the companies that have scaled AI across the business and achieved meaningful value from their investments—typically dedicate 10% of their AI investment to algorithms, 20% to technologies, and 70% to embedding AI into business processes and new ways of working. In other words, these organizations invest twice as much in people and processes as they do in technologies.
When companies underinvest in people and processes, they quickly lose momentum with artificial intelligence. That’s because it’s deceptively easy to launch a series of successful AI pilots. Without the right approach and focus on change management strategy, it’s nearly impossible to scale AI across the business.
The second episode of our podcast series, Me, Myself, and AI, has just started. We speak with leaders who have achieved big wins with artificial intelligence in their companies and learn how they did it. Hear what gets experts from companies like Lyft, Google Cloud, Mastercard, 1-800-Flowers, and others, excited to do their jobs every day and what they consider the keys to their success.
ListenA recent BCG-MIT Sloan Management Review study suggests that in order to achieve significant financial benefits from their machines, companies will have to look beyond automation—and focus instead on learning and organizational transformation. A symbiotic relationship is necessary, where companies don't just teach machines what humans already know; they deploy whatever human-machine interaction the situation calls for, adapting as needed to changing context, circumstances, and scenarios.
BCG’s artificial intelligence consultants and practitioners help clients quickly launch and scale AI-driven initiatives using a variety of techniques, including machine learning, large-scale optimization, and simulations. Our approach—built on lessons from hundreds of client engagements—is to think big, start small, and grow fast. With this framework, companies deliver results in weeks or months, rather than years.
Start by setting ambitious business objectives, targeting large value pools, and identifying capability gaps. Our AI consulting teams zero in on the initiatives with the highest potential impact.
Supporting expertise and offerings:
Select high-value use cases, launch focused pilots, then build, test, and iterate. Using an agile, sprint-based approach, cross-functional teams drive change in an integrated way.
Supporting expertise and offerings:
It is crucial for organizations to build the digital and human capabilities needed to sustain and scale their artificial intelligence strategy. Companies should be prepared to develop new ways of working, create opportunities for reskilling and upskilling, reimagine processes to facilitate true human–machine collaboration, and deploy a robust AI architecture.
Supporting expertise and offerings:
Our AI consultants, working in hybrid, cross-functional teams, ensure that companies have the full range of expertise to drive a companywide digital transformation. Here are just some of the capabilities we bring to AI-at-scale engagements:
Managing Director & Partner
Austin
BCG GAMMA
Growing business through applied data science and advanced technology.
In BCG's latest survey, 55% of the organizations are less advanced than they believe.
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