Cognizant announced its collaboration with Microsoft on launching the Innovation Assistant, a generative AI-powered tool built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, to augment the IT major's internal innovation program titled Bluebolt.

The Innovation Assistant is a tool designed to assimilate enterprise knowledge and enable greater creativity and innovation among Cognizant employees working to solve client challenges across industries. The launch is part of Cognizant's commitment to transforming human-machine collaboration through AI and advancing knowledge and innovation by leveraging the company's vast technical and industry knowledge.

"The creativity and ingenuity of Cognizant's people is one of the things that sets us apart in our industry, and we see our Innovation Assistant as a game-changer in how we generate and implement ideas," said Ravi Kumar S, Cognizant's CEO. "Together with Microsoft, we are harnessing the power of generative AI to revolutionize our approach to innovation, with the goal of ensuring we, and our clients, stay ahead in a rapidly evolving business environment."

"It's amazing to see the power of gen AI enable innovation at different levels of an organization with Cognizant's Innovation Assistant. They have used AI to create a platform that unlocks the potential of individuals and teams," added Puneet Chandok, president of Microsoft, India and South Asia. "Built on Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Cognizant's platform is a force multiplier that aims to enable customers to gain access to insights from enterprise data and stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape."

The Innovation Assistant is designed to generate context-based ideas and solutions while safeguarding sensitive information and client confidentiality. It is integral to Cognizant's Bluebolt grassroots innovation movement, which provides a framework for the company's employees, anywhere and at any level, to contribute to the innovation process from ideation to implementation. 

Cognizant claimed that harnessing the power of generative AI for Bluebolt will help its employees develop a combination of virtual guidance and real-world support that can utilize the company's full depth of expertise and co-innovation to benefit clients.