Enterprises are realizing that artificial intelligence can’t deliver value without the right foundation — and that foundation increasingly depends on process intelligence. The shift toward understanding how work really happens is fueling both efficiency and empathy in enterprise transformation.

What’s emerging is a more human-centered view of automation, one that connects data, decisions and experience. Organizations are not just measuring outcomes, but rethinking how value itself is created through smarter workflows and empowered employees. The focus on real-world return on AI has become the new north star, setting the stage for measurable business change and human impact, according to Savannah Peterson (pictured, left), principal analyst at theCUBE Research.

TheCUBE Research’s Savannah Peterson talks about how process intelligence is transforming enterprise AI.

“There’s been a real focus on the human loop,” Peterson said. “Everything from Nobel Peace Prize winners on the main stage today in the keynote, to really optimizing the work experience for folks who are leveraging process intelligence so that they can get that ROAI.”

At Celosphere 25, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, Peterson spoke with her co-analyst Rob Strechay (right) about how process intelligence is transforming enterprise AI by linking data, automation and human insight to drive measurable business value. (* Disclosure below.)

The rise of process intelligence in human-centered AI

AI may be the wave powering modern enterprises forward, but process intelligence is the current that keeps it steady. As data grows in both volume and complexity, companies are finding that actionable insights depend on systems capable of understanding, mapping and improving how work actually flows beneath the surface, Strechay explained.

“I’ve said it a couple of times today: AI’s that wave at our back,” he said. “One of the things that it’s doing is it can crash on you if your processes aren’t right.”

For organizations investing heavily in automation and analytics, the true differentiator lies in creating transparent systems where data is not trapped in silos. That liberation of information — what some call getting data out of “data jail” — is key to unlocking measurable results and scalable AI success stories.

“The focus has truly been on liberating some of this data, getting data out of data jail,” Peterson said. “It’s truly about empowering people to do their best work and have the most fun at work while they’re at it.”

Evidence of that success is mounting. Celonis SE’s customer community has seen measurable outcomes, with more than 120 “Celonaut champions” achieving a combined $8.1 billion in value. That scale of ROI underscores how process intelligence can transform theoretical potential into realized business performance, according to Peterson.

“We talk about making AI real,” she added. “[Celonis has] achieved 1 billion in value, and I think that’s nothing to scoff at. I haven’t heard of that level of tangible, scalable result in a lot of circumstances.”

Beyond the numbers, the broader impact lies in how organizations apply these insights to real human systems. From criminal justice reform to financial services, leaders are using process visibility to remove friction, enhance collaboration and reduce systemic inefficiencies that have long gone unaddressed.

“It’s those human stories coming in,” Strechay said. “It was really just fascinating how it brings it together and how many different applications between tech, business and something that’s completely unattached … laying it out in a very good way about the importance of freeing the process, and I think that was really key.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Celosphere 25:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Celosphere 25. Neither Celonis, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE