Why CIOs must lead AI experimentation, not just govern it

The drumbeat for AI is deafening. We’re surrounded by a mix of hype, fear and intense pressure to do something with this technology that seems to be advancing at the speed of light. For CIOs and enterprise technology leaders, the path forward can seem murky and fraught with the risk of missteps. But I believe the greatest risk isn't getting it wrong; it's waiting for a “perfect” AI strategy while the world races ahead. Real impact with AI doesn't start with flawless, grand designs. It begins with access, trust and a commitment to hands-on learning.

My journey with technology, even before my corporate career, has been a constant lesson in navigating the challenges and opportunities of innovation. I remember experimenting with early expert systems, which led to my first venture designed to help people choose outfits. When we pitched it, potential investors scoffed that people would never buy clothing online. This, and many subsequent experiences, taught me a vital lesson: New technologies are often met with resistance — which, in hindsight, is usually shortsighted.

This pattern continued as I began my CIO career in state and local government. There was a natural inclination towards caution, a preference for playing it safe. However, I also witnessed the significant cost of this hesitation — missed opportunities for learning, stifled innovation and the struggle to build a forward-thinking culture. When we wait too long to understand and adopt new technologies, we risk being left behind. I often think back to that early skepticism around online shopping or the initial resistance to SaaS when I speak with peers about AI. We’ve seen this movie before. It’s time to embrace the immense possibilities of AI, and not let fear dictate our pace.

From control center to innovation enabler: IT's evolving role

The role of IT leadership is undergoing a profound transformation. We were once the gatekeepers of technology. Then came SaaS, which began to democratize technology access, putting powerful tools directly into the hands of employees. AI represents an even more significant shift. It can feel intimidating, and as leaders, we have a crucial responsibility to demystify it and make it accessible. Much like the dot.com boom, we're witnessing a transformative moment, and IT leaders must harness this potential to drive innovation.

Consider the approach to AI adoption at Workday — we have been deliberate and iterative. We didn't wait for a comprehensive, end-to-end strategy. Instead, we started by focusing on building awareness and excitement. We rolled out readily available AI features integrated within the tools our employees were already using every day. The goal was to make AI accessible, intuitive and helpful. This allowed employees to immediately find ways to incorporate these tools into their daily work, demystifying AI and generating genuine enthusiasm.

Building trust by putting AI in employees' hands

Simply providing access isn’t enough; employees need to learn how to use these tools effectively. This is where our AI Champions initiative became invaluable. These individuals, hand-selected from various teams, focused on socializing persona-based AI use cases. They became internal advocates, sharing real-life examples of how their teammates were using AI to improve workflows. This peer-to-peer approach was instrumental in building trust and making AI feel less like a top-down mandate and more like a shared opportunity.

As we progressed to what I call "functional AI" — more complex applications tailored to specific business areas — the importance of collaboration and a willingness to learn from missteps became even clearer. 

Redefining ROI in an experimental world

This journey also necessitated a significant shift in how we evaluate AI investments. We established an AI Advisory Council, bringing leaders together to guide our decisions. We quickly realized that traditional evaluation criteria, with their rigid focus on immediate, quantifiable ROI, were insufficient for the dynamic nature of AI.

We had to adopt a more open mindset, recognizing that even projects without an obvious, immediate financial return can yield incredible value through learning, speed, and rhe uncovering od new possibilities. For example, one of our teams, with minimal resources, developed a valuable tool for earnings reports in just weeks. This demonstrated the potential for rapid, impactful development and informed our future planning. Mistakes, especially small-scale ones, are not just acceptable; they are essential for rapid learning. Waiting for AI technologies to fully mature means missing critical opportunities to inject new energy and innovation into our companies.

A call to action: Foster a culture of learning

The key to successful AI adoption is fostering a culture of learning and experimentation. Employees at all levels, whether developers or non-developers, executives or individual contributors, must have the opportunity to get their hands on AI tools and understand how they work. Some companies are having employees train AI models and learn prompt engineering, which is a fantastic way to remove the mystery and show people how AI truly functions. We’re encouraging our own teams to write prompts and train chatbots, aiming for AI to become a true copilot in their daily tasks.

Think of it as akin to an athlete who trains consistently, refining their skills to achieve better results. That’s the feeling we want our employees to have with AI — a tool that makes their work faster, better and, ultimately, more meaningful and joyful. My own mother’s relationship with her voice assistant, which has become an integral part of her life, is a simple reminder of how seamlessly technology can integrate when it’s genuinely helpful.

So, to my fellow CIOs and technology leaders: Don't let fear or the quest for perfection paralyze you. Start by building awareness. Make AI tools accessible. Empower your champions. Redefine your investment criteria to value learning and iteration. Most importantly, foster a culture where experimentation is encouraged and employees feel empowered to explore. The future of work is intelligent, and it's our responsibility – and our opportunity – to lead the way in shaping it.

Rani Johnson is CIO of Workday.