How to win at AI: think like a systems designer, not a tech shopper

We also see lots of IT professionals seeking work with AI able to take on some functions previously done by humans, and yet we hear that there is a critical skills gap that IT leaders are struggling to fill – how should IT buyers build a winning team for an AI-infused organization?

Katie takes the view that AI is reshaping the workforce, but not in the binary way people fear. What we’re seeing is a shift from automation to autonomy — from AI that helps with a task, to agentic AI that can make decisions, trigger actions, and coordinate across systems. That raises the bar not just for technical execution, but for oversight, orchestration, and trust. So when we talk about building a winning team, it’s not just about hiring data scientists — it’s about building teams who can manage and design systems where humans and AI are co-workers. (See also: How agentic AI makes decisions and solves problems.)

And one piece of wisdom for the IT leaders Katie advises? AI in 2025 isn’t about chasing the next model — it’s about building the muscle to deploy it responsibly, repeatedly, and at scale. IT should think like a systems designer, not a tech shopper. It’s not about which LLM you choose or which copilot you deploy — it’s about how AI shows up across your architecture, workforce, and risk model.