Accenture CEO Julie Sweet: AI future should be "human in the lead"

An Accenture Research "Pulse of Change" survey of 7,000 C-suite and non-C-suite workers, released in conjunction with the opening of Davos, found that more than three-quarters of leaders think the greater promise for AI is growing revenue, rather than saving dollars.

• "Companies are led by humans, and they will win by tapping into human creativity," Sweet told Mike Allen on Tuesday at an Axios Live event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Sweet, who has line of sight into the AI thinking of her company's 9,000+ clients in 120 countries, said the best case for the future of AI is "human in the lead," rather than "human in the loop."

• "I think we have to actually get rid of that narrative," Sweet said, "because it's not inspiring to people to be a human in the loop."

By the numbers: In the polling, 83% of non-C-suite employees expressed confidence that if there were to be an AI bubble burst, their organization "would continue investing in AI in ways that benefit employees and business performance."

• Just 20% reported feeling like active co-creators in "shaping how AI changes the way we work" — and only 17% said they enjoy using AI and seek new ways to apply it.

"We do think there is still a lot of anxiety, even as most employees are embracing AI ... in their own personal lives," Sweet said.

• Explore the data.