Sigve Brekke Says AI Era Organizations Will Resemble an Hourglass

Sigve Brekke recently shared key insights regarding artificial intelligence integration in the corporate sector, noting that AI capabilities are doubling every three months. This pace surpasses any technological shift in history, including the dawn of the internet. While CP Group and True have set their sights on becoming AI First organizations, Brekke openly admits they are still at the early stages of this journey.

Addressing common anxieties among employees regarding job displacement, Brekke emphasized that AI is designed to augment human capability rather than downsize headcounts or slash costs. If corporate leadership frames AI adoption solely around reducing staff, company-wide resistance is inevitable.

Research from Deloitte indicates that merely 19% of Thai firms have successfully integrated AI to reshape their business models and workflows, with 71% citing internal skill gaps as the primary roadblock. The greatest hurdle lies in shifting employee mindsets, particularly within well-established companies where fear of disruption mirrors the historical downfall of giants like Nokia and Kodak.

AI adoption transcends the sole responsibility of IT departments or technical specialists. Leaders across all organizational tiers must actively engage. Brekke notes that CEOs should dedicate sufficient weekly hours to mastering the technology, stressing that stopping at mere deployment yields limited value. Progressive organizations must focus heavily on reshaping and inventing new processes.

"At the bottom, you still need the younger generation who knows how to use AI to command and manage it. At the top, you still need experienced individuals to elevate the work that AI produces. In the middle is middle management, which will decrease in size."

Sigve Brekke

Regarding corporate structural evolution, Brekke challenges the conventional view that companies will transform from pyramids into V-shapes where executive leadership remains while operational staff vanishes. Instead, he envisions future enterprises taking the shape of an hourglass—wide at both the top and the bottom, but constricted in the middle.