Citizen technologists: How AI enables every employee to be a technology builder

The emergence of AI and user-friendly technology tools is enabling employees across all organizational departments to create their own technical solutions, marking a significant shift from traditional IT-controlled development.

The democratization of technology creation: AI and simplified development tools are transforming ordinary employees into technology creators, fundamentally changing how organizations approach digital innovation.

• Marketing professionals, healthcare workers, and finance teams are now building their own AI models, applications, and automation solutions without extensive technical backgrounds
• User-friendly devices and intuitive interfaces have made technology creation increasingly accessible to non-technical staff
• This shift represents a departure from the traditional model where IT departments exclusively controlled technology development

Three emerging creator categories: A new ecosystem of citizen technologists is taking shape across organizations, each with distinct focuses and capabilities.

• Citizen developers utilize low-code/no-code platforms to create applications
• Citizen automators design and implement automated workflows and processes
• Citizen data scientists employ AI and analytics tools to extract meaningful insights from data

Real-world transformation: The case of Shell employee Stevie Sims demonstrates how domain expertise combined with citizen development tools can drive meaningful innovation.

• Sims evolved from a valve operator to a citizen developer champion
• His success illustrated how business knowledge combined with development capabilities can solve operational challenges
• The initiative inspired broader adoption of citizen development within the organization

Navigating IT relationships: While initial resistance from IT departments has been common, progressive organizations are finding ways to balance innovation with control.

• Some IT departments initially viewed citizen development as risky “shadow IT”
• Forward-thinking organizations are adopting structured approaches to enable citizen development while maintaining security
• Shell’s “red, amber, green” system provides a framework for determining which projects require IT oversight versus those that can be independently developed

Organizational transformation: The citizen technology movement is reshaping how companies approach innovation and digital transformation.

• Organizations are establishing dual IT structures – one for enterprise systems and security, another for supporting citizen developers
• This approach accelerates innovation by leveraging employee domain expertise
• Companies are implementing training programs and safe development environments to support citizen creators

Future implications: This shift toward democratized technology creation presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations and their workforce.

• The movement addresses the shortage of professional developers and accelerates digital transformation
• Organizations must balance innovation with appropriate governance and security measures
• Success will depend on effectively orchestrating AI tools with human expertise and domain knowledge

Strategic considerations: The sustainability of this trend will rely on organizations’ ability to create structured environments that empower citizen developers while maintaining appropriate controls and ensuring security compliance.