AI is reshaping almost all value propositions and activities related to people, making it difficult to predict where it will ultimately lead our production and life. On August 5, David Frigstad, Chairman of the Global Board of Directors and CEO of Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting firm, said in an interview with the International Financial News that AI is bringing enterprises into an era of heightened competition.
AI is transforming nearly all human-related values and activities, and it is difficult to predict where it will ultimately affect our production and daily lives. On August 5, David Frigstad, Global Chairman and CEO of Frost & Sullivan, said in an interview with International Finance News that AI is ushering enterprises into an era of unprecedentedly intense competition.
在Fu DaweiIt appears that AI is accelerating the pace of corporate decision-making, organizational collaboration, and market competition at an exponential rate. "The Industrial Revolution brought about a hundredfold change over approximately 150 years; now, perhaps a hundredfold change can occur in just 10 years." He noted that both CEOs and companies must be prepared for this unprecedented speed of change. As Frost & Sullivan’s "pilot," Fu Dawei has long focused on corporate growth, innovation, and leadership, and he positions himself as a "growth coach."Growth CoachHe believes that what is most scarce in the AI era is not a impressive technical demonstration, but rather the ability of companies to continuously learn, make rapid decisions, and drive their teams to take real action. It is worth noting that this is the first time Fù Dawei has been in China in nearly ten years. During the interview, he reflected on the rapid development of China’s innovation industry and expressed high praise for the ecosystem that has emerged in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence. "China’s innovation capability excites me greatly; I rarely see such a scene anywhere in the world."
In Mr. Frigstad’s view, AI is accelerating corporate decision-making, organizational collaboration, and market competition at an exponential rate. “The Industrial Revolution brought about a hundredfold change over approximately 150 years; now, a hundredfold change may occur in just 10 years.” He noted that CEOs and enterprises must prepare for this unprecedented pace of change. As the “helmsman” of Frost & Sullivan, Mr. Frigstad has long been actively involved in corporate growth, innovation, and leadership, serving as a “Growth Coach.” He believes that what is most valuable in the AI era is not a sophisticated technological demonstration, but a company’s ability to continuously learn, make swift decisions, and motivate its team to take real action. It is worth noting that this is Mr. Frigstad’s first visit to China in nearly a decade. During the interview, he reflected on the rapid development of China’s innovative industries and expressed his admiration for the development ecosystem that China has established in high-tech areas such as artificial intelligence. “China’s innovation capabilities excite me greatly; I have rarely seen such a level of progress elsewhere in the world.”
"When I was still a college student, I spent time in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Later, when I had my first opportunity to come to Beijing, I met our Chinese partners. That was a long time ago." From the first visit during my student years, to entering the Chinese market for the first time, and then returning to Shanghai after a decade, Fu Dawei’s feelings stem not only from the vitality of the Chinese economy or the popularity of the AI industry, but also from a rare ability to adapt—"The national investment and commitments made by China to improve issues related to people’s lives are truly impressive and exciting." In his view, China’s development does not remain confined to grand numbers and narratives, but transforms into tangible reality within a relatively short period. Seeing the vitality of the Chinese economy, he simply says, "It is amazing that you can experience all this firsthand. This is why I feel lucky to live in this era."
"When I was still a college student, I spent time in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Later, I had my first opportunity to visit Beijing and meet our Chinese partners. That was a long time ago." From his first visit as a student, to his first entry into the Chinese market and now returning to Shanghai after ten years, Mr. Frigstad’s reflections stem not only from the vitality of the Chinese economy or the boom of the AI industry, but also from a capacity for change that he considers quite rare—"China’s national-level investment and commitment to improving issues related to people’s lives is both astounding and exciting." In his eyes, China’s development does not merely exist in grand numbers and narratives, but is continuously translated into visible reality within a relatively short period of time. Seeing the vitality of the Chinese economy, he frankly expressed his amazement: "You are able to experience all of this firsthand, which is exactly why I feel we are very fortunate to live in this era."
In the AI era, what enables companies to build competitiveness?
"Growth Coach" is Fu Dawei's self-defined role.
"Growth Coach" is how Mr. Frigstad defines himself.
This title originates from his experience as a gymnast during his college years. "No outstanding athlete can succeed without a coach, and this is especially true in team sports." In Mr. Frigstad's view, whether in individual or team events, the path to victory requires constant training, review and adjustment—and above all, the continuous observation and guidance of a coach.
This title originates from his experience as a gymnast during his college years. "No outstanding athlete can succeed without a coach, and this is especially true in team sports." In Mr. Frigstad's view, whether in individual or team events, the path to victory requires constant training, review and adjustment—and above all, the continuous observation and guidance of a coach.
However, upon transitioning from the sports arena to the business world, he noticed an intriguing contrast: despite managing complex organizations with intricate webs of employees, clients and business operations, many CEOs find themselves in a "coach-less" state. They have few people around them who can consistently ask the right questions, help them review past actions, exercise judgment and make better choices.
However, upon transitioning from the sports arena to the business world, he noticed an intriguing contrast: despite managing complex organizations with intricate webs of employees, clients and business operations, many CEOs find themselves in a "coach-less" state. They have few people around them who can consistently ask the right questions, help them review past actions, exercise judgment and make better choices.
Based on this, Mr. Frigstad does not simply define Frost & Sullivan as a traditional consulting firm that "walks into an enterprise with a ready-made proposal and tells management what to do." Instead, he prefers to position himself as a "Growth Coach," initiating engagements with questions like, "How can we make your team better?"
Because of this, Mr. Frigstad does not simply define Frost & Sullivan as a traditional consulting firm that "walks into an enterprise with a ready-made proposal and tells management what to do." Instead, he prefers to position himself as a "Growth Coach," initiating engagements with questions like, "How can we make your team better?"
In his view, the true value of consulting lies not in making decisions for the CEO, nor in handing over an external playbook to be blindly followed, but in helping enterprises build their own capabilities for continuous learning, rapid judgment and collaborative execution—until the day comes when "external help is no longer needed."
In his view, the true value of consulting lies not in making decisions for the CEO, nor in handing over an external playbook to be blindly followed. Rather, it is about empowering the enterprise to build its own capabilities for continuous learning, rapid judgment and collaborative execution—until the day comes when "external help is no longer needed."
This understanding of organizational capabilities also serves as the starting point for how Mr. Frigstad views the question of "how enterprises build competitiveness in the AI era."
This deep understanding of organizational capabilities also serves as the starting point for how Mr. Frigstad views the question of "how enterprises build competitiveness in the AI era."
AI is bringing companies into an era of higher Competitive Intensity. Fu Dawei noted that as information becomes more transparent and technology spreads faster, companies around the world may develop and utilize similar AI capabilities at the same time. In the past, a core technology could be held by a company for a long period and turned into a solid competitive barrier; today, the "shelf life" of leading technologies is constantly shortening.
Frigstad said, "AI is bringing enterprises into an era of higher Competitive Intensity." As information becomes increasingly transparent and the diffusion of technology continues to accelerate, companies around the world may develop and deploy similar AI capabilities at the exact same time. In the past, a single core technology might have been exclusively held by one company for a long period, resulting in a strong competitive advantage. However, today, the "shelf life" of technological leadership is continuously shortening.
Mr. Frigstad believes that the competition between enterprises is shifting from "whether you possess a new technology" to "whether you can harness the new changes brought by technology"—whether you can make decisions faster, drive organizational collaboration and translate technological capabilities into products and experiences that resonate more closely with customers.
Mr. Frigstad's assessment is that the competition between enterprises is shifting from "whether you possess a new technology" to "whether you can harness the new changes brought by technology"—whether you can make decisions faster, drive organizational collaboration and translate technological capabilities into products and experiences that resonate more closely with customers.
This shift in competitive logic also places higher demands on CEOs. Mr. Frigstad encapsulates the capabilities required of today's CEOs as the "Connected CEO": In the past, boards met quarterly and companies formulated their business plans once a year; today, such a pace can hardly keep up with the rapidly evolving competitive landscape. A CEO needs to sense changes in projects, employees and customers more promptly, while leading their team to communicate rapidly, exercise judgment and take action.
This shift in competitive logic also places higher demands on CEOs. Mr. Frigstad encapsulates the capabilities required of today's CEOs as the "Connected CEO." In the past, boards met quarterly and companies formulated their business plans once a year; today, such a pace can hardly keep up with the rapidly evolving competitive landscape. A CEO needs to sense changes in projects, employees and customers more promptly, while leading their team to communicate rapidly, exercise judgment and take action.
However, as AI accelerates its integration into daily life and advances to the frontlines of industry, different types of enterprises are facing entirely different tests.
However, as AI accelerates its integration into daily life and advances to the frontlines of industry, different types of enterprises are facing entirely different tests.
For traditional enterprises seeking transformation in the AI era, the challenge is no longer just whether to adopt AI, but whether the CEO truly participates and the team is willing to commit fully. Mr. Frigstad believes that enterprises should not view AI merely as a departmental task or a tool purchased by the marketing department; more importantly, they should use AI to comprehensively review internal collaboration methods and customer experiences: which production processes can be reengineered, how information flows more efficiently within the organization, and how connections between enterprises and employees or customers can be redefined.
For traditional enterprises seeking transformation amid the AI wave, the question is no longer simply "whether to adopt AI," but whether the CEO is genuinely involved and whether the entire team is willing to fully commit. Mr. Frigstad believes that companies cannot merely view AI as a task for a specific department or a tool procured by the marketing team. More importantly, they must leverage AI to comprehensively re-examine their internal collaboration methods and customer experiences: which production processes can be reconstructed, how information can flow faster within the organization and how the connections between the enterprise, its employees and its customers should be redefined.
Fuda Dawei said that what inspired him most about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the integration of a "Mindset of Experimentation" into the company's daily operations. "Great leaders, great departments and great people are conducting experiments all day long."
Mr. Frigstad mentioned that what inspired him most about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the integration of a "Mindset of Experimentation" into the company's daily operations. "Great leaders, great departments and great people are conducting experiments all day long," he noted.
In his view, many attempts may not obtain the expected results, but failure cannot be completely avoided, nor should it be simply defined as a failure; rather, it is an experiment that has not yet succeeded. Based on this, Fuda Dawei further emphasized: "Every employee should experiment with AI to see what results it produces." Enterprises in transformation cannot stay away from AI due to fear of making mistakes; blindly waiting for a definite answer may actually pose a greater risk.
In his view, many attempts may not yield the expected results, but failure can neither be completely avoided "nor should it be simply defined as a failure, but rather as an experiment that has not yet succeeded." Building on this, Mr. Frigstad further emphasized: "Every employee should experiment with AI to see what results it produces." Enterprises undergoing transformation cannot keep their distance from AI out of a fear of making mistakes; blindly waiting for a definitive answer may actually pose a much greater risk.
For emerging companies at the forefront of the new round of industrial transformation, Fuda Dawei’s assessment is even more direct: no matter how dazzling a technology demonstration may be, it does not equate to real commercial value.
For emerging companies at the forefront of this new wave of industrial transformation, Mr. Frigstad’s assessment is even more direct: no matter how dazzling a technology demonstration may be, it does not equate to real commercial value.
He used robotics as an example: a robot that can perform backflips or dance ballet might be highly eye-catching, but the market does not necessarily need a "performing robot." However, if it can be deployed in hospitals, assist in patient care and solve real-world needs, then it becomes an opportunity truly worth paying attention to.
He cited robotics as an example: a robot that can perform backflips or dance ballet might be highly eye-catching, but the market does not necessarily need a "performing robot." However, if it can be deployed in hospitals, assist in patient care and solve real-world needs, then it becomes an opportunity truly worth paying attention to.
"Ultimately, everything depends on the human experience in its application." In Mr. Frigstad’s view, AI and robotics companies must be almost "fanatical" in their focus on the application itself. They must answer exactly who the product serves, what problems it solves and whether it can build sustainable commercial viability in real-world scenarios. "Technological capability is merely the starting point. What truly determines whether a company can navigate past the hype and survive in the market is its ability to ground its technology in specific people, specific needs and specific values."
"Ultimately, everything depends on the human experience in its application." In Mr. Frigstad’s view, AI and robotics companies must be almost "fanatical" in their focus on the application itself. They must answer exactly who the product serves, what problems it solves and whether it can build sustainable commercial viability in real-world scenarios. "Technological capability is merely the starting point. What truly determines whether a company can navigate past the hype and survive in the market is its ability to ground its technology in specific people, specific needs and specific values."
How can Chinese enterprises build global influence?
How can Chinese enterprises build global influence?
Currently, AI is accelerating its integration into daily life and advancing to the frontlines of industry. In this transformation, China is demonstrating increasingly robust innovation momentum across areas such as research and development, manufacturing, application deployment and industrial synergy.
Today, AI is accelerating its integration into daily life and advancing to the frontlines of industry. In this transformation, China is demonstrating increasingly robust innovation momentum across areas such as research and development, manufacturing, application deployment and industrial synergy.
The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which concluded in Shanghai just over ten days ago, serves as a vivid footnote to this trend. In the exhibition halls at that time, the most eye-catching highlights were no longer large models merely competing on parameters, nor were they robots putting on flashy technological displays. Instead, the focus shifted to Agents that have evolved from "being able to chat" to "being able to execute tasks," as well as embodied intelligence capable of entering various scenarios and performing practical tasks.
The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which concluded in Shanghai just over ten days ago, serves as a vivid footnote to this trend. In the exhibition halls at that time, the most eye-catching highlights were no longer large models merely competing on parameters, nor were they robots putting on flashy technological displays. Instead, the focus shifted to Agents that have evolved from "being able to chat" to "being able to execute tasks," as well as embodied intelligence capable of entering various scenarios and performing practical tasks.
This vitality was equally sensed by Mr. Frigstad. In his observation, Chinese enterprises have gone through several clear stages of development: first the establishment of manufacturing capabilities, then the refinement of supply chains and logistics systems and subsequently the accumulation and unleashing of innovation capabilities. "I used to think that innovation might be a difficult problem for Chinese enterprises to solve, but today it has been successfully resolved."
This vitality was equally sensed by Mr. Frigstad. In his observation, Chinese enterprises have gone through several clear stages of development: first the establishment of manufacturing capabilities, then the refinement of supply chains and logistics systems and subsequently the accumulation and unleashing of innovation capabilities. "I used to think that innovation might be a difficult problem for Chinese enterprises to solve, but today it has been successfully resolved," he noted.
Visiting China again after nearly a decade, he saw not a market still chasing the technological wave, but an industrial landscape where innovation continuously emerges and application deployment accelerates. From technological R&D to product iteration and from business models to application deployment, new attempts are constantly appearing. "China's innovation capabilities make me incredibly excited; I have rarely seen such a scene anywhere else in the world," he said.
Visiting China again after nearly a decade, what he saw was not a market still chasing the technological wave, but an industrial landscape where innovation continuously emerges and application deployment accelerates. From technological R&D to product iteration and from business models to application deployment, new attempts are constantly appearing. "China's innovation capabilities make me incredibly excited; I have rarely seen such a scene anywhere else in the world," he said.
From manufacturing to supply chains and logistics, and now to innovation capabilities, Mr. Frigstad pointed out that the growth path of Chinese enterprises has been forged step by step. The next step is brand globalization. In his view, the most difficult part of the development of Chinese enterprises has already been completed. The ensuing questions are: How do they become global brands? How do they play a more important role on the global stage? This will be the next major growth opportunity for the Chinese economy and Chinese enterprises. However, between AI innovation, product capabilities and true global influence, enterprises still need to fill in a crucial missing link: the brand.
From manufacturing to supply chains and logistics and now to innovation capabilities, Mr. Frigstad pointed out that the growth path of Chinese enterprises has been forged step by step. The next step is brand globalization. In his view, the most difficult part of the development of Chinese enterprises has already been completed. The ensuing questions are: How do they become global brands? How do they play a more important role on the global stage? This will be the next major growth opportunity for the Chinese economy and Chinese enterprises. However, between AI innovation, product capabilities and true global influence, enterprises still need to fill in a crucial missing link: the brand.
Today, AI is accelerating its integration into daily life and advancing to the frontlines of industry. In this transformation, China is demonstrating increasingly robust innovation momentum across areas such as research and development, manufacturing, application deployment and industrial synergy.
To take this step, a CEO cannot merely be an explainer of technology and products, but must also become a storyteller for the enterprise.
"Steve Jobs did a phenomenal job at storytelling." Using Apple as an example, Fuda Dawei further explained that Jobs did not obsess over reciting a string of "bits, bytes and functional parameters." Instead, he talked about why Apple wanted to create such products and what kind of experience they hoped to bring to customers.
To take this step, a CEO cannot merely be an explainer of technology and products, but must also become a storyteller for the enterprise.
"Steve Jobs did a phenomenal job at storytelling." Using Apple as an example, Mr. Frigstad further explained that Jobs did not obsess over reciting a string of "bits, bytes and functional parameters." Instead, he talked about why Apple wanted to create such products and what kind of experience they hoped to bring to customers.
"Technology, customer applications and corporate mission can all serve as the starting point of a story. What a CEO needs to do is connect these threads to build a brand capable of crossing global markets and cultural boundaries," Mr. Frigstad emphasized. A truly influential brand needs to make customers, employees, investors, partners and suppliers across different markets understand and believe in the same story: why this company exists, what it hopes to change and for whom it will create value.
Technology, customer applications, and corporate mission can all serve as the starting point of a story. What a CEO needs to do is connect these elements to build a brand that can cross global markets and cultural boundaries, Mr. Frigstad emphasized. A truly influential brand must ensure that customers, employees, investors, partners, and suppliers across different markets understand and believe in the same narrative: why this company exists, what it aims to achieve, and for whom it will create value.
In addition to learning how to tell stories, Frigstad also recommended that Chinese companies use the global market as their reference point from the start. "Do not restrict yourself to being a Chinese company; position yourself as a global company." According to him, the next step for Chinese companies expanding globally is not merely selling products overseas or applying the same growth strategies in different markets. Instead, it involves viewing the entire global economy as their stage and redefining the company’s positioning, customers, and value propositions.
Beyond learning how to tell a story, Mr. Frigstad also advised Chinese enterprises to use the global market as their coordinate system from the very beginning. "Do not limit yourselves to being a Chinese company; position yourselves as a global company." In his view, the next phase for Chinese enterprises going global is not just about selling products overseas or replicating a growth methodology across different markets. Rather, it is about viewing the entire global economy as their stage and redefining the enterprise’s positioning, customers, and value propositions.
*Source: International Financial News (Reprinted)
International Financial News
