Interview with DXC Technology – Genuine experimentation and invention in the age of AI

AI is transforming not only what companies can develop, but also how innovation must take place. In large companies, however, established processes, leadership structures, and risk models can make it difficult to experiment at the pace that new technologies require. Holly Grant, President of AI Innovation and Strategy and LabX at DXC Technology, explains in an interview with Netzpalaver how organizations can create the conditions for genuine experimentation and invention while operating within the realities of a large corporation.

The conversation highlights how companies can bring a startup mindset into complex organizations, how they can create space to quickly test bold ideas, and how they can distinguish promising innovations from short-lived fads. It also explores why innovation should start with a real business problem rather than the technology itself, how organizations decide which ideas are worth pursuing, and what leaders need to do differently to foster experimentation, learning, and new ways of thinking.

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Questions:

0:05 In the IT world, we’ve grown accustomed to viewing innovation as a kind of further development of existing products. You’re bringing the concepts of experimentation and true invention back into the discussion. What is the key difference?

0:58 What role does AI play in this context – does it complement or replace human researchers?

1:43 Large companies often suffer from rigid management structures, established processes, and a fear of taking risks. How can AI help here?

3:26 In your view, is it really possible to establish a kind of startup mentality within large organizations, and what does it take to do so?

4:24 You advocate making real-world business problems the starting point for development rather than starting with the technology. What’s the reasoning behind this?

5:30 So how can companies rethink the innovation process themselves?