Guiding Hands in AI: The Role of Councils at Microsoft
As one of the first global enterprises to implement Microsoft 365 Copilot and other AI tools at scale, Microsoft has navigated the AI era with a balance of boldness and caution. This journey has been marked by a commitment to harnessing the potential of AI while ensuring the safety and security of its employees and customers.
Central to this effort is the establishment of employee-led councils, which play a crucial role in guiding the company’s strategy, driving transformation, and fostering an AI-forward culture. These councils, namely the AI Center of Excellence (CoE), the Data Council, and the Responsible AI Council, are essential for ensuring effective implementation, maintaining an AI-ready data estate, and embedding responsibility into new technologies.
The Need for a Guiding Hand in AI
AI technology is evolving rapidly, with advancements such as generative AI and enterprise-grade solutions transforming the landscape. However, the pace of change presents challenges for many organizations, leading to insufficient governance and alignment with business goals. As Don Campbell, senior director of Employee Experience Success at Microsoft Digital, states, “At Microsoft, we knew we couldn’t just implement AI for its own sake.” A clear vision and foundational strategies are critical for successful AI adoption.
In addressing fundamental questions about AI strategy, employee enablement, and data organization, Microsoft has leveraged the expertise of a wide coalition across its various teams.
AI Councils in Action
Microsoft Digital has a history of forming virtual teams that enhance agility. These teams, composed of professionals from diverse disciplines, help guide strategy and implementation of AI initiatives. By reflecting members’ unique passions and skills, the councils tackle specialized challenges effectively.
The AI Center of Excellence
The AI CoE was Microsoft’s first internal team dedicated to AI, formed even before the rise of generative AI. Initially a group of AI enthusiasts, the CoE now plays a pivotal role in defining how the organization utilizes AI technology.
Comprising experts in various fields, including data science, machine learning, and behavioral psychology, the CoE operates under four key workstreams:
- Strategy: Collaborating with product teams to set AI goals and prioritize implementations.
- Architecture: Enabling necessary infrastructure and data services for all AI use cases.
- Roadmap: Managing implementation plans for AI projects.
- Culture: Promoting collaboration and responsible AI practices.
The CoE’s work has evolved from ideation and education to showcasing successes and addressing challenges, such as regulatory compliance and data freshness.
The Data Council
The Data Council is a multidisciplinary team that shapes Microsoft Digital’s data strategy, ensuring it aligns with business goals. This council has been instrumental in implementing a data mesh architecture to enhance agility while maintaining security.
Facing challenges related to enterprise data, the Data Council prioritizes:
- Identifying authoritative data sources.
- Maintaining data freshness to combat drift.
- Ensuring discoverability of data across multiple enterprise data lakes.
- Establishing effective data governance.
As Diego Baccino notes, the strategy focuses on unifying people, process, and technology to turn data into a trusted foundation for innovation and transformation.
The Responsible AI Council
The Responsible AI Council oversees the ethical implications of AI initiatives. Established with the Office of Responsible AI in 2019, this council ensures that every AI project undergoes an impact assessment to adhere to the Microsoft Responsible AI Standard.
This council guides the integration of responsible AI principles, which include:
- Fairness: Ensuring equitable treatment for all users.
- Reliability and safety: Guaranteeing consistent performance across contexts.
- Privacy and security: Upholding user privacy by design.
- Inclusiveness: Engaging diverse user backgrounds.
- Transparency: Providing clear insights into AI capabilities.
- Accountability: Ensuring human oversight of AI systems.
Aligning Efforts with Microsoft’s Vision for AI
As the councils mature, they have focused on aligning their initiatives with Microsoft Digital’s overarching vision, which emphasizes transforming network infrastructure, revolutionizing user services, and accelerating corporate growth.
Through collaboration and regular meetings, these councils synchronize their efforts to deliver on strategic objectives with agility. This cooperative approach is vital for addressing priorities and ensuring the successful implementation of AI technologies.
Empowering AI Initiatives for Business Impact
As Microsoft’s AI councils work towards continuous improvement, they emphasize the value of sharing experiences and insights across teams. This cross-pollination of ideas accelerates collective learning and aligns AI initiatives with business objectives.
To measure the impact of AI initiatives, Microsoft has developed a framework that assesses contributions across six dimensions, including:
- Revenue impact: Contributions to business growth.
- Productivity and efficiency: Improvements in task completion.
- Security and risk management: Enhancements in vulnerability management.
- Employee and customer experience: Effects on satisfaction and engagement.
- Quality improvement: Enhancements in service and process quality.
- Cost savings: Reductions in operational expenditures.
By focusing on these dimensions, Microsoft aims to create a continuous improvement cycle, laying a solid foundation for ongoing innovation in the AI landscape.
In conclusion, the structured approach taken by Microsoft’s councils serves as a model for organizations looking to implement AI responsibly and effectively. By emphasizing governance, collaboration, and a commitment to ethical AI, companies can navigate the complexities of AI technology and harness its full potential.
