In 2023, Western & Southern Financial Group established an enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) governance program aimed at providing strategic guidance on the utilization of AI technologies, including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). As part of this initiative, the governance team developed a Generative AI Policy and required training course for all associates. The recurring course outlines specific requirements and guidelines to assist associates with using GenAI for company work, responsibly and appropriately. The company also identified and trained AI thought leaders and champions within each business unit.
Program Details
The Generative Artificial Intelligence Training Program features a blended learning journey with both in-person and online modules tailored to different roles, providing a progressive curriculum from foundational concepts to advanced applications. It includes practical examples and hands-on training to ensure immediate applicability.
To build on this foundation and ensure continuous learning, a secondary GenAI strategy team was formed to develop a comprehensive all-associate rollout plan. This plan included devising a corporate communications strategy, implementing change management activities, and creating an extensive training program to ensure all associates are well-equipped to integrate GenAI into their work.
One main goal of the plan was identifying thought leaders and champions within each business unit. The primary responsibility of AI Champions is to drive the responsible implementation of GenAI and identify opportunities where GenAI can be applied to solve problems, improve efficiencies, and create new value within their areas.
To equip these AI Champions with the necessary resources to lead these initiatives, Western & Southern designed an AI Champions learning journey, featuring both in-person and online training modules. Recognizing the varied experience levels with GenAI, the company introduced an online course covering the basics of GenAI, its applications, and available tools. Western & Southern supplemented this with LinkedIn Learning courses that discussed how to enhance productivity with AI tools and provided practical examples of effective prompting.
Additionally, AI Champions participated in an Innovation Workshop focused on systematic inventive thinking (SIT), a structured innovation methodology that employs specific tools and principles to systematically generate creative solutions by modifying existing products or processes. SIT emphasizes using available resources and techniques such as subtraction, multiplication, division, task unification, and attribute dependency to foster innovative thinking. After completing the AI Champion learning journey, AI Champions have the option to extend any relevant trainings to their groups.
Lastly, Western & Southern hosts roundtable sessions for its AI Champions to come together to share ideas, discuss opportunities, and highlight needs. These sessions foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, allowing champions to learn from each other’s experiences, brainstorm innovative solutions, and collectively address challenges.
Results
Some 91 percent of AI Champions have interacted with the AI learning journey. Additionally, 33 out of 34 AI Champions have completed the SIT innovation workshop.
Achieving the company’s goal, AI Champions’ efforts generated more than 200 ideas for genAI use in less than three months.
