Cisco Systems announced it will equip all 90,000 of its workers with individual AI agents as the company enters its new fiscal year at the end of July. Each staff member will receive a customized digital assistant designed to answer inquiries and execute specific work tasks.
Mark Patterson, the company’s chief financial officer, described artificial intelligence as the most substantial technological shift observed in recent decades. He stated that Cisco positioned itself centrally within this transition. The firm intends to manage its own AI infrastructure on-site rather than relying entirely on external providers, a strategy Patterson believes offers greater control over expenses and efficiency.
The internal system automatically selects the most suitable AI model for each assigned job. According to Patterson, the platform identifies which tools deliver the best results for particular use cases. The company did not disclose the financial cost associated with rolling out these agents across its global workforce.
Patterson utilizes a dedicated AI tool that compares Cisco’s financial performance against rival firms. This software generates dashboards displaying key metrics such as revenue growth rates, profit per share, research and development expenditures, and capital allocation strategies. He noted that AI has already transformed routine finance operations, particularly in drafting the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of public reports.
Patterson estimated that artificial intelligence now generates approximately 80 to 90 percent of the initial draft for these mandatory disclosures.
Additional AI applications include an investor relations tool that analyzes historical financial data, reviews competitor earnings calls, and forecasts questions analysts might pose. The finance team is also refining a dashboard known as the CFO cockpit, which aggregates performance data by product line, geographic region, and customer category to project future trends and recommend actions.