Mars ‘On Cusp’ of Bringing AI Agents to Internal Platform
Mars is expanding its centralized artificial intelligence platform after recording positive employee engagement and retainment rates.
Initially launched in Q4 as an MVP to about 200 associates, Mars developed the platform to standardize the AI infrastructure, tools, and processes most used by employees. In doing so, the company is reducing risk and increasing efficiency, Kaarthikeyan Subramaniam, director of digital experiences platforms, told CGT.
The platform was developed after generative AI test-and-learns revealed many employees were solving the same challenges using different vendors and approaches. Developed in partnership with Tredence, it enables Mars employees to solve at least 50-60% of their challenges, said Subramaniam.
“We recognize that there will be use cases that require a different approach to solve a problem, but the majority [can be] solved using a centralized platform.”
It’s now open to Mars’ Responsible AI community of around 3,000 employees, and they are on the cusp of bringing agent solutions to the platform and associates as well, he said. They’re also providing a self-service model so employees can use the platform by themselves after undergoing the provided training.
As part of this, Mars is providing SDKs and APIs for others to build applications on top of the platform, as well as increasing the types of structured and unstructured data sources it leverages.
Benefits of Centralized AI Platform
The benefits of having a centralized platform include being able to measure employee usage, including engagement surrounding specific capabilities, noted Subramaniam.
The platform can link data sources from multiple platforms, including internal and external data, and users can synthesize a query on top of it. Employee engagement is increasing, he said, because it provides a safe space for employees to use AI with confidential data (e.g., unannounced promotions).
The company measures retention rates and query growth on the platform, the latter of which Subramaniam said is doubling every day. They’ve also established a prompt library to boost efficiency.
Responsible AI use is baked into the platform, according to Subramaniam; when inputting content or generating queries, users are informed whether they are in compliance with Mars policies.
Perhaps most importantly, introducing the AI platform has prompted a cultural shift within the organization: “We are making our workforce a little bit more AI-savvy. We are not just building AI skills here, but I think providing an environment for associates to use AI effectively.”
