Nigel Vaz, the chief executive officer of Publicis Sapient, said artificial intelligence capabilities are growing exponentially and businesses must adapt quickly [1, 2].
This urgency stems from the speed of AI development, which threatens to leave companies behind if they fail to integrate these tools into their core operations. As AI moves from a novelty to a fundamental business driver, the gap between early adopters and laggards widens, creating a critical window for digital transformation.
Vaz said this trajectory during an interview with Forbes on Aug. 12, 2024, where he emphasized that the pace of change requires a shift in how companies approach their long-term strategies [1]. He said the technology is not evolving linearly but is instead accelerating in a way that disrupts traditional business models.
During the 2026 TIME Leadership Forum, Vaz expanded on these views by discussing the broader impact on the global economy [2]. He said, "We’re seeing AI move at an exponential rate, reshaping entire industries."
The CEO's warnings focus on the necessity of organizational agility. For many firms, the challenge is not merely the acquisition of AI software but the transformation of human workflows, and corporate culture to accommodate machine intelligence. Vaz said leaders should prioritize this transformation to remain competitive in a volatile market [1, 2].
According to Vaz, the ability to pivot quickly will define the winners of the next decade. He said, "AI’s capabilities are growing exponentially, and businesses need to adapt quickly" [1].
“AI’s capabilities are growing exponentially, and businesses need to adapt quickly.”
Vaz's assertions reflect a broader shift in the corporate world where AI is moving from a tool for efficiency to a prerequisite for survival. By emphasizing exponential growth, he suggests that traditional five-year plans are now obsolete, as the technological landscape can shift entirely within a single fiscal year. This puts pressure on legacy industries to overhaul their infrastructure or risk total displacement by AI-native competitors.
