In the age of AI, access to knowledge is evolving from a privilege held by a few to a resource available to all. Greg Petroff, former Chief Design Officer at Cisco Secure, highlights how AI is fundamentally transforming the way organizations access and utilize their intellectual capital.
“Corporations have enormous volumes of information at their disposal, but finding meaning and insight from that data has always been difficult,” Petroff explains. Historically, much of this tacit knowledge—the unspoken, experience-based understanding within an organization—was siloed, accessible only to a select few.
AI is changing this dynamic by democratizing knowledge across organizations. Central to this transformation is the concept of knowledge graphs, which Petroff describes as tools for structuring and organizing an organization’s vast reservoirs of information. A knowledge graph connects disparate data points, capturing relationships, hierarchies, and contexts to create a holistic representation of an organization’s intellectual assets.
“Knowledge graphs are about taking the structure of the information you have and organizing it to serve the purposes of your organization, your customers, and the benefits you want to provide to them,” Petroff explains. Unlike traditional databases, which store information in rigid formats, knowledge graphs offer fluid, interconnected insights. They allow organizations to move beyond raw data to reveal patterns, correlations, and opportunities previously hidden in the noise.
One of the most transformative aspects of knowledge graphs is their accessibility. Petroff points out, “The ability for everyone in an organization to have access to that and to understand it with more clarity is one of the things that we’re starting to see materialize in AI.” By mapping organizational knowledge in intuitive ways, these graphs empower employees at all levels to access critical insights, collaborate more effectively, and make data-informed decisions.
This transformation signals a future where knowledge is no longer fragmented and elusive. Instead, it becomes a shared, dynamic resource that drives innovation, empowers teams, and creates value at scale. AI, as Petroff articulates, offers not just tools but a framework for rethinking how organizations harness their collective intelligence to thrive in the modern era.
Design leaders are uniquely positioned to play a critical role in helping organizations capitalize on these advancements. By leveraging their expertise in human-centered insights and information architecture, design leaders can guide the development and application of tools like knowledge graphs to align with strategic objectives to accelerate and improve innovation outcomes.
