Annie Tsai

To some, what’s happening is exhilarating. To others, it’s threatening. And to others yet, they are somehow still largely unaware of the incredible shift that is happening underneath all of our feet. Regardless of where you live on this spectrum of awareness, our reality is that AI is transforming the very foundation of how we work, hire, build, and scale.

In this first issue of The Business Side of AI, I’m highlighting companies that are fully integrating artificial intelligence into their business, products, and operations and changing what it means to be competitive in 2025. This week’s issue also pulls together recent developments highlighting AI’s growing role in auditing, economic growth, workforce dynamics, and the regulatory landscape.

AI Becomes a Job Requirement at Leading Tech Firms

Companies like Duolingo, Shopify, Meta, and Box are now requiring AI fluency across their workforce. From hiring decisions to daily workflows, being proficient with using artificial intelligence to work is quickly becoming table stakes. Read more →

Insight: Companies are embedding AI into hiring and operations, creating a new baseline for employee skills.

Cisco’s Take: AI Requires Creative Thinking, Not Just Code

Cisco’s CPO emphasizes that in the AI era, the most valuable employees are those who combine technical skills with creativity and strategic insight. Read more →

Insight: Businesses must cultivate a workforce that thinks critically and creatively about AI’s role rather than see it as a workforce replacement or productivity tool.

Meta’s AI-Powered Ad Engine Boost Stock

Meta’s move to fully automate ad creation with AI could redefine marketing workflows. Advertisers will soon upload a product image and budget and let AI handle the rest. Read more →

Insight: AI is compressing time-to-market in marketing, enabling rapid scaling with fewer resources.

Big Four Firms Venture into Auditing AI

The Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG – are developing AI assurance services to audit the performance and safety of artificial intelligence tools, capitalizing on corporate demand for trustworthy AI systems. Read more →

Insight: Management consulting is going to ride the AI wave in classic fashion.

AI in Inventory: Target, Walmart, and Home Depot Stay Ahead

Retail giants are using AI to predict and prevent inventory shortages, improving in-stock rates and decision-making. Read more →

Insight: Retailers are integrating artificial intelligence to optimize supply chains and customer experience.

Retool’s AI Agents Are Replacing Labor

Retool has introduced AI agents that handle tasks like customer refunds and performance analysis, blurring the lines between automation and human roles. Read more →

Insight: AI-native tools are creating a new era of operational efficiency and reshaping staffing needs.

AI Washing: Regulatory and Private Actions to Stop Overstating Claims

There is a growing trend of public companies overstating their use of AI – a practice dubbed “AI washing” – and it has drawn scrutiny from regulators like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which has prioritized AI in its 2025 oversight agenda. Read more →

Insight: While a lot of organizations are transforming their business models and products with AI, still yet others are faking it until they make it – and regulators are on to it.

Lattice’s AI Agents for HR: Augment, Not Replace

Lattice launched AI agents to handle routine HR tasks, freeing human teams to focus on strategy and engagement. Read more →

Insight: AI agents are reshaping the HR function, but human oversight remains critical.

Warnings About White-Collar Job Displacement

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, warns that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs, potentially spiking unemployment to 10–20% in the next five years. Fields such as technology, finance, law, and consulting are most at risk. Read more →

Insight: With such pervasive disruption, it’s critical that everybody adopts artificial intelligence to improve outcomes.

Feature: 20 Mind-Blowing AI Statistics Everyone Must Know About Now

Here are some mind-blowing stats for you to shell out at your next dinner party.

• Global AI Adoption: 378 million users expected by 2025
• AI Market Size: $244 billion by 2025
• Productivity Gains: Up to 40% reported by businesses using AI
• Cost Savings: AI integration reduces costs by ~30%
• 92% of students use AI, up from 66% last year
• 40% of all jobs are exposed to AI impact

Read more →

Your Takeaway This Week: The Operating System for Business is AI and There’s No Ignoring the Tsunami

It’s time to ask yourself what you are going to do to integrate AI into every part of your business. How are you fostering creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability into your teams? Are you ready for the compliance and ethical responsibilities of AI at scale? Are you doing your part to support the workforce skilling in this incredibly transitional era?

Ready to rethink your playbook? Follow The Business Side of AI for real world stories, frameworks, and strategies on navigating AI transformation.