Artificial intelligence (AI) has long been considered a game-changer for businesses. Still, John Roese, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Dell Technologies, is adamant that the future is no longer a distant horizon—it’s happening now. “This isn’t a technology that’s going to take five or ten years to mature; the disruptions are already occurring weekly,” says Roese, highlighting that the speed at which AI is evolving is unlike any previous technological revolution.

The Acceleration of AI Development

Roese draws a parallel between AI and other technological transformations but emphasizes the unprecedented speed at which AI is advancing. “The internet in the ’90s took years to scale, but AI is happening much faster,” he notes. Concepts such as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)—which allows external data to be used with large language models—didn’t even exist two years ago, but are now becoming essential to enterprise AI. “If you’re not there now, you’re already late,” Roese warns, reflecting the urgency that organizations must feel to keep pace with AI’s rapid advancements.

For Dell, this environment is both an opportunity and a challenge. While many companies are scrambling to catch up, Dell’s early investments in AI infrastructure have positioned it ahead of the curve. “We built our first AI servers four or five years ago, long before generative models like GPT gained prominence,” Roese reveals. This foresight has provided Dell with a strategic advantage, enabling it to seamlessly adapt to the explosion in AI use cases across industries.

AI’s Impact on Enterprise

AI’s disruptive potential extends far beyond the tech sector. Roese explains that “there are millions of enterprises, and every process within those companies is a target for AI.” In this way, AI represents not just a new set of tools but a foundational shift in how businesses operate. From healthcare and finance to manufacturing, AI is being applied in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

A key example from Dell’s own operations showcases this shift. Roese describes a project within Dell’s service organization that started as an AI experiment but rapidly scaled to thousands of employees. The goal was to enhance decision-making processes for technicians, and the results were dramatic. Roese believes this project illustrates a broader trend: initial AI experiments are evolving into full-scale deployments in enterprises, and the adoption curve is steepening.

Despite this, Roese acknowledges that AI’s impact on enterprises is still in its early stages. “Most enterprises aren’t in the business of training AI models; they use pre-trained models to execute specific tasks,” he explains. This division between training and inference—the process of applying trained models to perform real-world tasks—creates two distinct markets in AI, both of which Dell is well-positioned to serve.

Dell’s Strategic Approach to AI

Dell’s strategy in the AI market reflects both its foresight and adaptability. According to Roese, while many tech companies appear to have pivoted to AI only recently, Dell had long been preparing for this transformation. “When the generative AI explosion happened, we were already there,” he says. This allowed Dell to optimize its supply chain and refine its product offerings without the growing pains faced by competitors who were slower to act.

Dell is betting heavily on AI servers, which differ from traditional servers in their capabilities. AI servers are designed to handle the massive computational demands of AI, from training large-scale models to performing complex inference tasks. “We’re building infrastructure for the future, and we’re already positioned to lead in the AI space,” Roese says.

This positioning is critical, as Roese believes that companies must adapt quickly to survive in the age of AI. “In previous technology shifts, you had years to adapt,” he observes. “With AI, that window is shrinking. If you’re not moving toward AI today, you’re already late.”

AI: The New Steam Engine?

Roese draws a bold analogy between AI and past industrial revolutions, comparing it to the steam engine and the internal combustion engine. “AI is foundational,” he says. “Anyone who tries to pigeonhole it as just chatbots or enterprise applications is missing the point. It’s a different way of distilling information into knowledge and wisdom, and you’re going to apply it everywhere.”

This comparison underscores Roese’s belief that AI is not a niche technology, but a fundamental tool that will reshape entire industries. Much like the steam engine revolutionized transportation and manufacturing, AI is poised to transform the way businesses operate at every level.

What’s Next for AI?

Looking ahead, Roese is clear: AI’s potential is just beginning to unfold. “The AI server market is different from traditional servers, but not fundamentally,” he says. Dell’s ability to cater to both the training and inference sides of AI ensures that it remains competitive in both the current and future phases of AI’s evolution.

As the adoption of AI accelerates, Roese believes that businesses must rethink how they approach AI integration. “The big obstacle isn’t anything technical,” he points out. “The challenge is figuring out where to apply AI and understanding what your company truly needs.” For Dell, AI isn’t just a technology; it’s a strategy that’s already reshaping the company’s global supply chain, sales force, engineering capabilities, and service organization.

The AI Imperative

As Roese reflects on Dell’s AI journey, his message to other businesses is clear: the time to act is now. “The future isn’t tomorrow—it’s happening now,” he asserts. In a world where AI is no longer optional but essential, Roese’s words serve as both a warning and a call to action for companies across industries.

In Roese’s vision, businesses that fail to embrace AI today may soon find themselves left behind in a rapidly changing landscape. “With AI, the future isn’t waiting for anyone,” he concludes. For Dell, that future is already here, and the company is determined to lead the way.