The following is an excerpt from Cisco’s FY25 Purpose Report. Explore the full report to learn more about how we Power an Inclusive Future for All.
According to the Cisco AI Readiness Index, close to a third of organizations surveyed report that employees are limited in their willingness to adopt AI. Not so at Cisco. We believe that thriving in the age of AI requires not just cutting-edge technology, but a deep investment in people. We’re actively creating a culture of continuous AI learning and experimentation, considering ourselves “customer zero” when it comes to leveraging Cisco’s AI-first technology.
Digging Deep I
nto AI Research
In fiscal 2025, we conducted a multimodal analysis of how employees were using AI tools and how that impacts the workplace experience. The study focused on three key areas of impact:
- Adoption: Leaders are the biggest predictor of AI adoption. At Cisco, if your leader uses AI, you’re two times more likely to use it too. Tenure is also an indicator; employees with less than one year or more than 20 years at Cisco had the highest AI usage.
- Experience: In addition to Cisco-sponsored courses, 91% of focus group participants were learning AI through trial and error.
- Impact: AI is a workflow enhancer, with high performing employees embedding AI into daily workflows to boost efficiency and focus on higher priority work.
These insights will help inform and shape our overall AI employee experience strategy moving forward.
Developing AI for Everyone
AI for Everyone is Cisco’s flagship AI learning program, designed for all employees — no technical background required.
Built by Cisconians for Cisconians, this training offers bite-sized lessons and hands-on AI exercises. Four persona-based modules — Users, Leaders, Enablers, and Builders — provide role-based learning, from foundational skills to AI data analytics. This initiative signifies a shift in our AI learning strategy, moving from broad training to more focused, role-relevant content.
As a complement to this, we also developed a standalone AI training focused on data privacy, inclusive design, and humanin-the-loop decision making to help employees make more thoughtful, ethical decisions on AI adoption.
Introducing CIRCUIT
Two years ago, we launched our first Cisco IT Enterprise Chat AI tool. But what started as a simple way for employees to safely use generative AI has evolved into much more.
In fiscal 2025, we launched a new-and-improved AI assistant, CIRCUIT. Developed by Cisco IT, this internal tool securely brings together the latest AI models into one cohesive system.
CIRCUIT can handle everything from routine tasks, like drafting emails, to unlimited deep research. And it continues to evolve alongside AI technology to tackle more complex data, introduce more intelligent agents, and lay the groundwork for truly connected, automated workflows.
Each new feature we release brings us closer to a streamlined and seamless AI-powered work experience for employees — with Cisco-grade trust and security at its core.
At Cisco, our Purpose is core to who we are and what we do. Learn more about our goals and progress to date in our Purpose Reporting Hub.
