Ted Hanson, CEO of ASGN and soon-to-be Everforth, offered a compelling perspective on the evolving role of artificial intelligence, arguing that AI will ultimately improve productivity and free up workers to do more high-value work, rather than just eliminating their jobs. Hanson spoke with Brian Sullivan on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” to dig into the current economic climate, the concerns of Fortune 500 CEOs, and the strategic urgency of deploying AI amid broader geopolitical and fiscal uncertainty. His insights provided a nuanced perspective for founders, venture capitalists, and AI professionals grappling with the critical implications of technology.
Discussions began against a backdrop of complex economic challenges for ASGN’s diverse customer base, which includes more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies. Hanson noted that customers have weathered a year full of concerns, from tariffs and economic uncertainty to the constant pressure to manage expenses. But woven into this tapestry of pressing concerns is the broader question of how to effectively integrate and leverage generative AI. This impending and promising technology change forms a critical part of companies’ strategic calculations and requires attention even as companies deal with day-to-day operational headwinds.
Hanson emphasized that the prevailing sentiment among business leaders is not fear of AI destroying jobs, but rather an optimistic outlook on AI’s ability to enhance human potential. “AI will improve productivity and empower knowledge workers to do more valuable things,” he said, countering common fears about automation. This perspective frames AI as an augmentative tool that allows employees to abandon repetitive, low-value tasks and focus on more complex, creative, and strategic endeavors that require uniquely human cognitive abilities. This shift is less about replacing human workers and more about retraining and redirecting the workforce toward more impactful contributions.
However, the path to realizing AI’s full potential is not without significant hurdles. Hanson identified the complexity and “technical debt” inherent in large organizations as a key barrier. For decades, companies have built disorganized, departmentalized systems, resulting in siled data spread across countless platforms. “What customers are struggling with right now is the complexity of their organizations,” he explained. “For decades, they have deployed large systems that are departmentally oriented, siled, and have data scattered all over the place. And now they have the opportunity in AI, but trying to reach it based on the technical debt that exists within the organization is difficult.” This legacy infrastructure acts as a major roadblock, preventing the agile and efficient implementation of advanced AI solutions. Before companies can truly unlock the potential of AI, they must first invest in streamlining their data architecture and processes.
Beyond the corporate sector, government spending is emerging as a powerful catalyst for AI and advanced technologies. Mr. Hanson noted that recent legislative actions have significantly increased spending, particularly in the defense, intelligence, and national security areas. “This is going to be a double-digit increase in spending from a big, beautiful bill that’s really geared toward the Department of Defense, Intel, and advanced technology in the national security space,” he said. This influx of capital will create a robust market for cybersecurity, AI, data analytics, and other critical advanced technologies, directly impacting companies like ASGN, whose more than 70% of government work is concentrated in these high-tech areas. This government-led investment not only fosters innovation, but also establishes precedents and standards for AI adoption that can spill over into the private sector.
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The conversation also touched on ASGN’s strategic rebranding to Everforth. This is a move designed to better reflect ASGN’s integrated mission and unified approach to client solutions. “Everforth is about moving forward as an integrated business and solving our customers’ most important opportunities by integrating technology where they have business problems,” Hanson explained. This pivot from a collection of seven distinct businesses to a $4 billion organization is aimed at delivering more integrated and comprehensive technology solutions. This is a recognition that complex business problems, especially those related to AI, often require a holistic approach that transcends traditional departmental and business unit boundaries. Our goal is to simplify AI adoption for our customers by providing off-the-shelf assets, intellectual property, and accelerators, thereby reducing the burden of technical debt and accelerating time to value.
Ultimately, Hanson’s commentary highlights an important dual challenge and opportunity. AI holds great promise for productivity and higher-value work, but its effective integration depends on organizations being able to address the underlying technical complexities. Working toward an AI-enhanced future requires not only innovative technology, but also a strategic overhaul of existing systems and efforts to empower a more skilled and agile workforce.
