July 16 marks AI Appreciation Day, and it’s more than just a calendar moment—it’s a chance to pause and reflect. Yes, AI is everywhere now—powering our apps, platforms, systems, and decisions. But beyond the buzz and breakthroughs, the real question is more grounded: What does this mean for us—for our work, our teams, and the way we build businesses rooted in both data and human experience?
Talk to most forward-looking leaders today, and you won’t hear ominous warnings like “AI will replace you.” What you’ll hear instead is something more relevant and hopeful: AI is here to amplify us. To help us move faster, think deeper, and connect better—not to cut us out of the picture.
To see how that plays out, let’s look at three companies—Twilio, Lenovo ISG, and Cloudera—each with a unique take on AI’s role in business. But running through all their stories is one powerful throughline: AI works best when people are still at the center.
AI’s Real Power? Helping People Connect Better
Chris Koehler, CMO, Twilio
“AI has moved beyond the hype to become a vital part of how we work and live. But its impact goes beyond efficiency—it’s about making connections.”
That’s the key shift in narrative we need to embrace. AI isn’t just an automation engine or a cost-cutting tool. At Twilio, it’s helping marketers find the right people at the right moment with meaningful messages. Tasks that once felt overwhelming at scale—like responding to every inbound lead or support query—are now managed more smoothly. Their platform now handles 90% of inbound interest and deflects three-quarters of support tickets.
But those efficiencies haven’t made humans obsolete—they’ve freed up time for the things only people can do: read emotional cues, solve messy problems, and build trust.
“The future of marketing isn’t AI versus human,” Koehler emphasizes. “It’s AI plus human. That’s where the real magic happens.”
Think of AI as a smart co-pilot, not a competitor. It handles the heavy lifting so humans can focus on empathy, insight, and imagination.
Smart AI Needs Smart Infrastructure—and Culture
Let’s shift to the engine room of it all: systems, hardware, and decision-making frameworks.
Amit Luthra,
MD, Lenovo ISG India
“AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a business-critical imperative today.”
But deploying AI at scale? That’s still a work in progress for many. According to Lenovo’s CIO Playbook 2025, 63% of Indian enterprises prefer AI to run on hybrid or on-prem setups—not fully on the cloud. Why? Because performance, compliance, and control still matter. Deeply.
The truth is, while AI sounds like the future, implementing it is very much grounded in today’s realities. It needs the right architecture—and the right mindset.
“It’s time to embrace AI as a core driver of growth, inclusion, and real-world value,” Luthra adds.
And here’s the kicker: plugging in AI isn’t enough. Organizations need to rethink how teams collaborate, how decisions are made, and how humans interact with these intelligent systems. Culture doesn’t upgrade automatically with new tools—you have to build it intentionally.
Without Trust, AI Doesn’t Work
Mayank Baid of Cloudera brings attention to a quieter, but vital, element in all this: trust.
Mayank Baid, Regional VP, India & South Asia, Cloudera
“At Cloudera, we’re committed to the rapid deployment of trusted AI by enabling organizations to integrate any model with secure and governed data.”
That word—governed—matters. In Cloudera’s “Future of Enterprise AI Agents” survey, 84% of Indian firms reported having implemented AI agents already. Almost all plan to scale that use. But this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about responsibility.
The deeper AI gets into core operations, the tougher the questions will get.
Who made this decision? What data was used? Was it fair? Did it get the context right?
Deploying AI without transparency is like building a high-speed train without testing the tracks. It may look sleek, but when pressure hits, it could derail.
Trust, transparency, and data governance aren’t nice-to-haves anymore. They’re prerequisites for long-term value.
The Future of Work Is Still Human—Just Powered Differently
Let’s talk about jobs—not as disappearing roles, but evolving ones.
Koehler calls for a “learner’s mindset.” Luthra connects AI with inclusion. Baid highlights the need for digital upskilling. Together, they paint a shared picture: AI isn’t replacing us—it’s reshaping what we do and how we do it.
Sure, AI can take over the repetitive stuff—the things that are rules-based, high-volume, and don’t need a lot of nuance. But that leaves us more time and space to focus on what really matters: judgment, creativity, problem-solving, and relationship-building. The skills that no algorithm can replicate.
Yes, roles will shift. Tasks will change. But the core value humans bring? That’s not going anywhere.
Final Thought: Do the Work Only You Can Do
So, on AI Appreciation Day, what is it we’re really celebrating?
Not just the algorithms. Not just the breakthroughs. But the way AI helps us become better at being human—more focused, more thoughtful, more connected.
Maybe that’s the real question to ask, not “What will AI do to our jobs?” but
“What can I now do better because of AI?”
Or as Chris Koehler puts it:
“Let’s not just marvel at what AI can do, but focus on what we do best—leading with empathy, collaborating across teams, and adapting in real time.”
That’s the future worth building.
