James shares what he’s learned in his first year as CDO, including the rollout of Ava, KPMG’s internal generative AI assistant now used by over 11,000 employees. We unpack how Ava is surfacing firmwide expertise, why adoption is about people before platforms, and how KPMG’s Trusted AI Framework is helping to embed ethical, human-centric principles into every use case.
We also dig into:
The mindset shift required to move from AI hype to real-world impactHow the “Summer of AI” initiative reached 16,000 participants across 14 countriesThe role of digital ninjas in driving cultural changeHow AI is augmenting professionals rather than replacing themWhy KPMG is focused on curated knowledge and client-specific intelligenceLessons learned from early adoption, including why managing expectations mattersJames also reflects on how AI can be both revolutionary and familiar, referencing the 1966 ELIZA chatbot as a reminder that hype cycles always have history. His advice to other organisations is simple: don’t wait to get started. Start small, stay pragmatic, and bring your people with you.