How Cisco leverages AI for impact | FY24 Purpose Report

The following is an excerpt from our FY24 Purpose Report, celebrating 40 years of impact at Cisco.

A lot has happened in 40 years of technology: the Internet, mobile, social media, cloud computing, AI. Securely powering that technology has only grown more critical—and more complex—over time. That’s where Cisco comes in.

We build and deliver technology that powers the world’s connectivity, whether that’s between computers, throughout communities, or across continents. And that work has never been more critical than today, in the age of AI.

As CEO Chuck Robbins shared, “AI and its limitless possibilities will impact every organization, industry, community and person—reimagining the world in countless ways. Connection, security, and data will be paramount in realizing AI’s potential, as will innovating in an ethical, responsible, and sustainable way.”

The following are just a few of the many ways that Cisco integrates AI into its strategy, products, and services:

AI in the Workplace

Cisco is turning its cutting-edge AI technology internally to support our employees. In fiscal 2024, we launched BridgeIT, a Cisco Enterprise Chat AI that is fully integrated within Webex suite solutions. BridgeIT can help answer questions about Cisco products, offer support solutions, and even develop presentation outlines.

Employees are also leveraging AI to shape the way teams work together. This year, we launched “Teaming with AI,” a pilot program that enabled teams to experiment with new ways of working to drive their productivity and efficiency. We also hosted an “InnoVerse: AI” hackathon, challenging employees to find new ways to leverage AI in their roles, while also receiving training and guidance along the way.

Advancing Skills with AI

AI is accelerating the pace of change for the global workforce, presenting an opportunity for individuals to advance their skills. Cisco Networking Academy develops and partners with industry leaders to offer engaging, self-paced AI learning content, like AI Fundamentals with IBM SkillsBuild, that teaches the basics of AI to empower our learners with new skills that are reshaping the future of work. We also led the launch of the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium with Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP to assess AI’s impact on technology jobs and identify skills development pathways. The collaborative effort enables these organizations to coalesce insights, recommend action plans, and act on findings, so that the AI revolution leaves no one behind.

Using AI in Security Response

Since the beginning, we have used AI and machine learning (ML) to create security detections at scale and to assist security analysts. We use ML in spam detection, email classification, malicious domains, and more. Our latest ML-based system, SnortML, detects variations in attacks and automatically blocks them at the source. To increase collaboration, Cisco developed the AI Security Incident Collaboration Playbook with the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, fellow AI providers and security vendors, and critical infrastructure owners and operators. This playbook will help coordinate AI security incident response between governments, industry peers, and global partners to drive toward a more secure future.

Looking to learn more about how we’re driving impact with AI? Head to our FY24 Purpose Report for AI stories (look for the icon on the right), and discover Cisco products that are helping to connect and protect the AI era.

To learn more about the progress we’re making to Power an Inclusive Future for All, visit our Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub.

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