Why Capgemini’s CEO Thinks Companies are Getting AI Wrong

Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, has shared that he believes businesses are thinking about AI integration incorrectly. 

In conversation with Fortune, Aiman said that he sees AI as a core business function that needs to be used purposefully. 

He says “AI is a business. It is not a technology”, sharing that leaders often categorise AI solutions as a “black box that’s being managed separately”. 

While Aiman says that there are “technologies behind it”, AI as a whole “is about transforming the business. It cannot just be used to keep the house running”

The AI learning curve

Research from EY has shown that, while 88% of employees are reporting that they use AI at work, organisations are failing to realise up to 40% of the potential benefits of the technology. 

The report suggests that this is due to employees primarily using AI for simple tasks rather than a larger strategic focus. 

According to Aiman, this can be the danger of implementing technologies that employees have not been suitably upskilled for. 

He said: “You don’t want to be too ahead of the learning curve," adding, “if [you are], you’re investing and building capabilities that nobody wants.” 

As of January 2026 only 21% of UK workers say they feel confident using AI at work, according to findings from the UK Government. 

To combat this confidence gap, many leading companies are prioritising AI upskilling to achieve the strategic goals they have in place for AI. 

Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, said in the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call that “the workforce needs new skills to use AI, and new talent strategies and related competencies must be developed.”

In order to effectively upskill its workforce so it is prepared to use new AI technologies, the company has invested US$1bn into a dedicated learning platform, as well as offering staff the use of AI sandboxes to test solutions. 

According to Accenture, the company hopes to double the number of skilled data and AI professionals in its workforce with this strategy. 

The role of the CEO in AI integration 

CEOs are under particular pressure to successfully integrate AI into their wider business strategy, with findings from the Boston Consulting Group revealing that half of CEOs believe their role is at risk if AI investments do not pay off. 

To achieve this, Aiman says CEOs should be primarily focused on setting the wider strategic direction, rather looking at the organisation on a granular level: “The question you [the CEO] have to focus on is: ‘how can your business be significantly disrupted by AI’, not ‘how is your finance team going to become more efficient?’ I’m sure your CFO will deal with that at the end of the day.”

Many CEOs who have successfully integrated AI into their leadership strategy have seen widespread success – such as Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, who led the company into its first US$100bn quarter in 2025. 

In an earnings call, Sundar said the company’s rise in earnings was due to AI reinforcing the company’s business model, saying: “Overall, we’re seeing our AI investments and infrastructure drive revenue growth across the board.”