AI readiness demands a talent strategy, not just a technology stack, Sibos panel warns
AI readiness demands a talent strategy, not just a technology stack, Sibos panel warns #
Financial institutions that focus on AI technology while neglecting workforce development are unlikely to see returns on their AI investments, panelists warned at Sibos 2026 in Miami on Monday.
The opening-day session, titled “AI talent and literacy: Building the AI-ready enterprise,” brought together senior figures from Kyndryl, Accenture, and NTT DATA AIVista to examine why many AI deployments in finance fail to produce lasting business results.
Diana Wolfe, VP and Head of AI Research and Strategy at Kyndryl, was joined by Karalee Close, Accenture’s Global Lead for Talent and Organisation; Bratin Saha, CEO of NTT DATA AIVista; and fellow panelists Anjali Shah, Federico Cohen Freue, and Stefanie Coleman.
A central argument was that AI literacy should be treated as a portfolio strategy across the full workforce, not a one-time training exercise. Saha described three layers: deep technical experts who build and maintain AI systems; “business translators” who connect technology to commercial outcomes; and a broad baseline that lets the wider workforce use AI tools effectively. According to Kyndryl’s event page for the session, the panel examined what to hire for, what to partner for, and how to build role-based learning, responsible adoption, and leadership capability that converts AI capacity into sustained business performance.
Close said access to technology is no longer the main barrier to AI value. Financial institutions have largely moved past the experimentation stage, she said; the critical gap now is equipping employees to make better decisions, create new value, and work differently, themes that Accenture’s event materials confirm were central to her contribution.
The session drew on Kyndryl’s 2026 People Readiness Report, which surveyed 1,100 business and technology leaders across eight markets. Only 23% of those leaders said their workforce is fully prepared to use AI effectively. A Gartner forecast cited in the report puts global AI spending at $2.52 trillion this year, up 44% year on year. Kyndryl’s research also found that 94% of respondents said upskilling existing employees will become preferable to external hiring as AI becomes embedded in daily work.
Panelists said the organizations making the most progress are those rethinking roles and workflows alongside their AI deployments rather than buying more tools. The session called on financial-services leaders to embed responsible AI adoption from the top of the organization down and to build structured, role-specific learning programs tied to genuine human capability.
Copy link