Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Businessweek

Episode: UiPath Sees Continued Strength as AI Tools Sharpen

Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Carol Massar, Tim Stenovec
Guests: Ashim Gupta (CFO & CEO, UiPath), Nina Tretman (Bloomberg News Senior Editor)

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on UiPath's ongoing growth as AI and automation technologies evolve, with insights from Ashim Gupta, CFO and CEO of UiPath. The discussion centers on the company's positioning within the expanding automation landscape, how AI is shifting enterprise strategies, and the implications for labor markets and government operations. Nina Tretman joins to provide editorial context from her reporting on CFOs and automation trends.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. UiPath’s Role in the Automation & AI Industry

• Company Overview (03:26)

  • UiPath is an AI-powered platform for business process automation, spanning deterministic (rules-based) and “agentic” (AI-driven) automation.

  • Clients include over half of Fortune 500 companies, with 10,800+ customers across sectors like financial services, healthcare, and the U.S. federal government in 100+ countries.

    Quote:
    "We are very relevant to what every enterprise of almost any scale does in terms of taking away mundane work to yield for a more productive workforce."
    — Ashim Gupta (04:20)

2. Real-World Applications and Impact

• Examples Across Industries (04:35)

  • Financial Services: Voya Financial automates HR and finance tasks (e.g., employee onboarding, procure-to-pay, invoice processing).

  • Healthcare: A Fortune 10 healthcare company uses UiPath for claims processing, leveraging automation for data entry, analysis, and decision-making.

    Quote:
    "That work can be done by software and does not need to be done for the hours that people are putting into it."
    — Ashim Gupta (05:13)

3. Internal Adoption at UiPath (05:46)

• UiPath has scaled revenue dramatically without expanding headcount proportionally.

• The company uses its own automation tools internally, especially in areas like finance, enabling efficient growth.

  Quote:
  "We have not had to add people net net to our company in many years. We've been able to achieve that scale both geographically as well as...from a revenue perspective using automation."
  — Ashim Gupta (05:53)

4. AI’s Impact on Labor Markets and Hiring Strategies (06:22 - 07:27)

• Automation, including AI, allows companies to hire selectively for higher-value roles, not simply reduce headcount.

• There’s a shift in employment focus—from routine tasks to innovation and customer-facing roles.

  Quote:
  "We’ve hired people just in the places that provide higher return in terms of revenue or higher pieces of innovation...companies should be hiring and people will continue to work, but it's going to be working in higher-skilled areas."
  — Ashim Gupta (06:46)

5. Investor Sentiment & ROI Focus in AI Adoption (07:27 - 09:16)

• Some investors fear an “AI bubble,” but clients remain focused on projects with clear ROI.

• Budget allocations have shifted from general experimentation to tightly ROI-driven projects.

• High demand for proof-of-concept trials: 700+ clients piloting “agentic” automation within five months of its launch.

  Quote:
  "Experimental funds are moving down, but...there's a lot of funds available for projects and areas that yield ROI."
  — Ashim Gupta (08:33)
  "Funding will follow activity so long as there is ROI."
  — Ashim Gupta (08:59)

6. Public Sector Business & Government Automation (09:16 - 10:39)

• The public sector generates more than 10% of UiPath’s revenue.

• Applications include digitizing legacy paperwork (sometimes stored in caves and trailers!), audit compliance, and agency-wide process automation.

  Quote:
  "There are partners...taking papers that are sitting in caves and in parking lots, trailers and trailers of them, and digitizing them as part of their digital transformation."
  — Ashim Gupta (09:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Automation Replacing Low-Value Work:
  "That work can be done by software and does not need to be done for the hours that people are putting into it."
  — Ashim Gupta (05:13)

• On the Evolution of Enterprise Hiring:
  "Companies should be hiring and people will continue to work, but it's going to be working in higher-skilled areas and areas that have a higher return."
  — Ashim Gupta (06:46)

• On Government Digital Transformation:
  "Partners...are taking papers that are sitting in caves and in parking lots...digitizing them as part of their digital transformation."
  — Ashim Gupta (09:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:23 — UiPath stock and sector overview
• 03:26 — Ashim Gupta introduces UiPath's platform and market position
• 04:35 — Real-world examples from financial and healthcare sectors
• 05:46 — Adoption of UiPath automation within UiPath
• 06:22 — AI’s impact on labor markets and company hiring strategies
• 07:27 — Investor sentiment and ROI in AI/automation projects
• 09:16 — UiPath’s work in the public sector and its significance

Closing

The episode underscores UiPath’s focus on ROI-driven automation powered by AI, both for private enterprises and government agencies. Areas with the most impact see the greatest investment, leading to changing workforce dynamics and large-scale digital transformation—particularly where outdated manual processes still prevail.

Recommendation:
Check out the Bloomberg CFO Briefing newsletter, where Ashim Gupta will be featured, for deeper coverage on the intersection of automation, AI, and corporate finance.