Without imagination, every strategy becomes a reaction: the new role of AI in the workplace

During the ERP Summit 2026, Roberto Arruda, CRO of Skyone, brought a provocative reflection to the main stage: software has changed and, consequently, so has the nature of work. Faced with a market saturated with information that generates anxiety and paralysis in decision-making, Arruda argues that the only way to avoid being merely reactive is to apply imagination and creativity to technology.

Data from April 2, 2026, 4-minute read. By: Skyone

During the ERP Summit 2026, Roberto Arruda , CRO of Skyone , brought a provocative reflection to the main stage: software has changed and, consequently, so has the nature of work. Faced with a market saturated with information that generates anxiety and paralysis in decision-making, Arruda argues that the only way to avoid being merely reactive is to apply imagination and creativity to technology.

In this article, we explore the key points of Roberto Arruda's lecture on the new role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how leaders should position themselves.

The changing nature of work: from tools to autonomy

The evolution of AI can be divided into clear phases. We started with transactional systems, moved on to tools that help developers produce faster, and arrived at the current stage, where AI agents perform tasks autonomously.

This transformation profoundly alters how we interact with software. Today, it's not just the technology that's changing; the way humans position themselves in relation to it needs to evolve. It's estimated that while 25% of jobs can be performed purely by AI, the other 75% depend on the synergy between humans and machines to achieve real efficiency and productivity.

The role of prompt engineering and creativity

Although the term "prompt engineering" may sound purely technical, it is actually an exercise in imagination and creativity. Technology can automate processes, but it cannot amplify culture or the human capacity to create new contexts. Without imagination, any company's strategy becomes merely reactive to the market.

The challenge is not technological, it's cultural

A common mistake in organizations is believing that AI implementation fails due to technical limitations. In reality, most projects fail because of culture and the lack of preparedness of the people involved. As Peter Drucker said, the most important skill today is the ability to learn new skills.

For AI to thrive, it is necessary to:

Unlearning and relearning: overcoming resistance to change and adopting a posture of continuous learning.
Emphasis on business development: For the first time, the simplicity of AI allows business areas to create their own software and solve specific problems without relying exclusively on IT.
Active leadership: the role of leaders is to support this transition by structuring data and ensuring security governance.

From pilot to ROI: real results with AI agents

The era of "pilots for sport" is over. From now on, the success of AI in companies is measured by ROI. Successful projects focus on building human capacity and increasing operational efficiency.

A real-world example of this application is the case of Copastur , which implemented an AI agent for bank reconciliation. The result was the automation of 80% of the process and a return of 4 billion in just one year.

How Skyone Studio drives this journey

To scale these capabilities, platforms like Skyone Studio eliminate data silos and organize the infrastructure for AI projects. The Studio integrates:

iPaaS: to connect more than 400 systems and automate workflows without programming.
AI agents: which understand objectives, plan actions, and execute complex tasks autonomously.
Lakehouse: to ensure that the data is structured and ready to feed dashboards and machine learning models.

The future is hybrid: humans and agents side by side

The autonomy of AI agents does not exclude humans; it elevates them. In the intelligent automation ecosystem, agents handle repetitive and bureaucratic tasks, while professionals focus on strategic initiatives and exception management.

For companies, the cost of resistance is high. Those that wait to see what will happen lose competitive advantage and face less efficient operating costs. Decision-making in organizations is taking longer today than during the pandemic, precisely because of the inability to predict the future. The only way to prepare is by investing in processes, structured data, and, above all, in people.

Conclusion

Technology is transforming the nature of work before our very eyes. The question that remains for every manager is: how can we use this capability to improve the human condition and generate real value for the world?

At Skyone , we help your organization on this journey to the cloud and data intelligence in a secure way, transforming difficult problems into competitive advantages.