TLDR: Wipro has announced a significant $1 billion investment over three years to bolster its Artificial Intelligence capabilities and train its entire global workforce of 250,000 employees in AI fundamentals and responsible AI usage. This initiative, centered around the new ‘Wipro ai360’ ecosystem, aims to integrate AI into every aspect of its operations and client solutions, fostering an ‘AI-first’ approach.
Global technology services and consulting giant Wipro has unveiled an ambitious strategy to become an ‘AI-first, cloud-enabled enterprise’ by committing a substantial $1 billion investment over the next three years. This strategic move, initially announced in July 2023, is designed to profoundly enhance the company’s Artificial Intelligence capabilities and embed AI across all internal platforms, tools, and client solutions.
At the heart of this transformation is the launch of ‘Wipro ai360,’ a comprehensive AI innovation ecosystem. This ecosystem is set to bring together Wipro’s extensive pool of 30,000 experts in data analytics and AI, integrating them with the company’s broader technology and advisory services across its four global business lines. These capabilities span critical areas including cloud and partnerships, data, analytics and AI, design and consulting, cybersecurity, and engineering, all aimed at developing new solutions and embedding AI into every process and practice. Wipro’s innovation hub, Lab45, will also play a pivotal role within the ai360 ecosystem, offering clients talent, training, scale, research, and co-innovation opportunities to accelerate AI adoption.
A cornerstone of this investment is a massive upskilling initiative targeting Wipro’s entire 250,000-strong global workforce. The company pledged to train all employees on AI fundamentals and the responsible use of AI tools within 12 months of the July 2023 announcement. This foundational training is complemented by more customized, ongoing programs for employees in AI-specialized roles. By March 2024, approximately 200,000 employees had already been trained on Generative AI (GenAI) principles, notably leveraging Microsoft Copilot.
Thierry Delaporte, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro Limited, emphasized the transformative nature of AI, particularly generative AI. ‘Artificial Intelligence is a fast-moving field,’ Delaporte stated. ‘Especially with the emergence of generative AI, we expect a fundamental shift up ahead, for all industries. New business models, new ways of working, and new challenges, too. This is exactly why Wipro’s ai360 ecosystem places responsible AI operations at the heart of all our AI work. It’s meant to empower our talent pool and be ubiquitous across all our operations and processes, as well as our solutioning for clients. We are ready for the AI-driven future!’
The training program includes developing a comprehensive AI journey curriculum tailored for different roles, culminating in employee credentialing through the Decentralized Identity & Credential Exchange (DICE) ID platform. Wipro also plans to host hackathons and challenges on its Topcoder talent crowd platform to ensure continuous upskilling.
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Beyond internal development, Wipro is accelerating investments in cutting-edge startups through Wipro Ventures and launching a GenAI Seed Accelerator program. This program will provide selected GenAI-focused startups with the necessary training to become enterprise-ready. The company’s partnership with Microsoft, highlighted by the adoption of Microsoft Copilot, demonstrates a strategic vehicle for growth and delivering enhanced value to customers. An internal AI council at Wipro has been instrumental in establishing responsible, persona-driven use cases for Microsoft Copilot, with reported benefits such as a 22.65% code acceptance ratio for GitHub Copilot at an organizational level. Wipro’s commitment extends to integrating AI into yearly account planning, ensuring a focus on improving professional, group, and team outcomes through AI.
