Skip to content

Solving the Puzzle of Scaling AI

Balasundaram’s own session tackled the critical challenge of scaling AI within global corporations to enhance decision-making. Moving beyond isolated pilot projects, it explored such topics as overcoming “pilotitis,” adapting to the AI landscape, maturing AI initiatives, impact assessments, and human-AI collaboration.

At your session, attendees gained practical guidance on scaling AI initiatives, maximizing their impact on business outcomes, and fostering a data-driven culture. What other elements did your session bring to FEI?

“Number one, there are very few conferences out there that address the topic of innovation both from a conceptual side as well as an applied side,” says Balasundaram. “What you have put together here in terms of the speakers, the content, the topics, they address both sides of it. The way you parceled out the days, especially at this meeting with the human intelligence component as the first one, the AI component tomorrow, and then the collective on the third, it just makes a lot of sense given where many of these trends on AI are going and the augmented decision-making we’re all talking about. That’s really what’s been great to be here and hear other people go through the same journey.”

Moving Forward, Collectively

Speaking of that, your session dovetails nicely into the collective intelligence theme of the conference. This concept of AI and human insights, working together. How do you find that plays out in the insights and innovation communities?

“We will always be after deeper insights in a novel way,” he says. “We want to uncover insights that are different, which we can act on in a differentiable manner when we launch brands and to be able to impact decisions under a cloud of uncertainty. We must do that now with remarkably more information and content than we had, let’s say, five years ago and to do it in half the time we had that. How do you bring all of that in? You can’t do it just as a human alone because we have confirmation biases. We tend to look within our echo chambers.”

He adds, “I think AI helps us to do that, but AI alone isn’t going to be able to drive that. So it’s going to have to be what is that optimal combination of the help we need but also preserving our judgment, looking at data and information in new ways, uncovering insights in a fundamentally new way, and driving a decision and impact much faster than we could. I think that’s the puzzle that we’re all trying to solve.”

Exploring During the Journey

In both insights and innovation, there’s the idea of this exploration and journey and really making an impact with decision makers. This morning, we had the rogue mindset presentation, how do you think that mindset coincides with the insights and innovation communities?

Balasundaram relates, “Where the rogue mindset is critical, especially when it comes to AI and its application and insights, is it really challenges this notion many practitioners have about going to the risks of AI first, without also in balance talking about its merits. What I think the rogue mindset does is you’ve got to be able to be assertive about what are the benefits in something you do. Yes, it has risks, but it’s very important to drill down to what are the important things that AI is doing. For example, it is helping us manage an overwhelming amount of content that we would not be able to do otherwise. It is allowing us to think about things in new ways because it just isolates patterns that go beyond the way we think about the universe.”

“Sometimes AI goes to bad places, and we know that,” he adds. “But it does occasionally allow us to explore domains that we wouldn’t have done anyway. That’s where I think the rogue mindset is really helpful in a conference on innovation, that it puts you in a mindset that is assertive, that is solution oriented rather than kind of being behind the eight ball in terms of seeing what happens and then going into it.”

Contributor

  • Matthew Kramer is the Digital Editor for All Things Insights & All Things Innovation. He has over 20 years of experience working in publishing and media companies, on a variety of business-to-business publications, websites and trade shows.

    View all posts
 
 

Related Content

A greenhouse with a lot of sunlight with plants growing in rows going off into the distance.
interdisciplinary innovation

Incubating Innovation

On the first day of the FEI25 conference, All Things Innovation had the chance to chat with Tammy Butterworth, Product Innovation Director, Welch’s. B…

Large array radar dish on night sky background.
innovation management

Technology: Powering the Future of Innovation

The driving forces of innovation are increasingly intertwined with technology. Innovation technology encompasses the tools, platforms, methodologies,…

Man lying on the grass, daydreaming and thinking under open sky.
innovation management

Thinking Bigger: Managing Innovation

All Things Innovation was on hand at FEI25 and had the opportunity to chat with Liza Sanchez, Vice President, Research & Development at Procter & Gamb…

A large field of bright sunflowers in bloom.
innovation culture

Inspired at FEI25 by Out-of-the-Box Thinking

At the recent FEI25 conference, the innovation community came together to spark innovative ideas, inspire new ways of thinking and to get creative wit…

Futuristic image streams of lasers/light beams rushing into the distance.
Front End of Innovation

Practicing Innovation in the AI Age, Part 2

In this part 2 conclusion of our best practices series, we asked innovation thought leaders how they feel about AI, just what they see on the horizon,…

Futuristic fractal sphere with digital egg emerging in the center.
new product development

Practicing Innovation in the AI Age

Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are changing the game when it comes to innovation. From quantum computing, the metaverse, mixe…

A shining star on top of a trophy.
FEI Honors

FEI25 Honors to Recognize Steve Wozniak

This year’s Front End of Innovation (FEI25) conference will celebrate the show’s rich history of innovation with the FEI Honors event—which will…

First, second and third place trophies stand on a podium.
stakeholder engagement

Championing Innovation Management

Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are changing the game when it comes to innovation management. The demands of the marketplace a…

Books on shelf in background, 2 books open on a desk.
innovation best practices

The Innovation Edge: Best Practices Defined

Corporate innovation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for survival and growth in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. This guide, create…

Graphic of two heads with brains as gears churning and communicating.
innovation impact

Creating the New Business Innovation Mindset

From quantum computing to the metaverse, there are a multitude of emerging trends, tools and technologies that could influence the business of innovat…

Curving glass windows of a skyscraper.
human-centric innovation

Moving Up the Innovation Curve

All Things Innovation’s continuing series on business innovation has focused on the foundational knowledge and best practices of this discipline. Wh…

Windsurfing on a rogue wave.
resilience

Bringing the Rogue Mindset to FEI25

Just how much of a Rogue Mindset do you and your team bring to the innovation table? What can we do to bring more of that unconventional thinking to t…

Coffee cup and plate filled with coffee beans.
new product development

Strengthening Product Concept Testing

Many product launches often fail, and it’s accepted as part of the nature of innovation. But does it really need to be that way? Cambri asserts that…

A digital-like button that says "Start."
artificial intelligence

Leveraging Insights to Reach Innovation

With the production of insights comes learning about your marketplace and consumer, actionable findings, and agile decision-making—all of which can…

A big road sign that says The Future is Now.
innovation culture

Inspiring The Future of Innovation

TMRE 2024, recently held in Orlando, gathered the market research community for a broad range of conversations and discussions from all manner of insi…

A welder with helmet welding steel, with smoke, heat and sparks.
human centered design

Leading Innovation Through Change

A resilient insights community came together at Universal’s Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando, FL, this past December for TMRE 2024. The market…

A gold pocket watch half buried in the sand.
innovation team

Top Innovation Themes from 2024

As we close out our review of 2024, we wanted to examine the top innovation themes of the year, based on our blogs, research reports and events. To do…

Cooking in a wok on a steamy and fiery stove.
innovation mindset

Cooking Up Innovation: A Review of Q3 2024

During the third quarter of 2024, All Things Innovation was busy preparing coverage for the recently concluded FEI 2024 conference in June and present…

human intelligence

Sparking Innovation: A Review of Q2 2024

During the second quarter of 2024, All Things Innovation was busy preparing for the upcoming FEI 2024 conference in June and presenting a broad range…

A single light bulb illuminating with the filament shining bright.
innovation team

Illuminating Innovation: A Review of Q1 2024

During the first quarter of 2024, All Things Innovation was busy preparing for the upcoming FEI 2024 conference and gearing up for a year filled with…

A matrix-like image of code going down the information/data highway.
innovation collaboration

Innovation Community Resources on Analytics

As we continue to look back and explore the educational sessions at FEI 2024, All Things Innovation brings you an extra edition featuring additional r…

A graphic of a light bulb with a large number of machine gears (in place of the actual bulb).
data science

Innovation Community Resources on Process

All Things Innovation brings you a bonus edition featuring additional research, insights and resources centered on FEI 2024’s Process track. The tra…

A digital hand and a human hand touching through a futuristic background.
artificial intelligence

The Future of AI: A Roundtable Perspective

A key session at FEI 2024 earlier in the year was the GenAI Use Case Roundtables, where the entire show delegation shared opportunities and concerns w…

innovation talent

A Glimpse into the Future of Innovation

The FEI 2024’s R&D, Product Development & Design track showcased a diverse range of innovative ideas and strategies across various industries. Corpo…

innovation strategy

The Data-Driven Race: Strategies for Success

FEI 2024’s AI, Data, Analytics & Insights track provided valuable insights into the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of business. By…

Like a star or comet shooting out rays of light beams.
innovation leadership

The First Steps to Transformational Innovation

All Things Innovation’s annual roundtable discussion, held at the Front End of Innovation (FEI 2024) conference, tackled the big question: “Is tra…

Graphic features a kind of lightspeed with flashes of colors in the center.
transformational innovation

Measuring the Human Element

The Front End of Innovation (FEI 2024) conference featured All Things Innovation’s annual roundtable discussion, which tackled the big question: “…

A mousetrap set with cheese ready and waiting.
innovation engagement

Capturing Innovation Engagement

All Things Innovation had a chance to chat with Termeh Rassi, Chief Strategy Officer & Editorial Director at Leonardo, at this year’s FEI 2024 confe…

Big pile of light bulbs with one lit up.
artificial intelligence

Unlocking the Potential of Data Innovation

With FEI 2024’s focus on AI, human capabilities, and the data-innovation journey, among other topics, All Things Innovation had a chance to discuss…

A graphic that shows a kind of innovation and startups word cloud in the shape of a maze.
artificial intelligence

Setting the Stage for Startups

With Mike Vladimer, Lead Product Manager for Innovation at a Fortune 250 company, on hand at FEI 2024, All Things Innovation got the chance to chat wi…

Creator or entrepreneur sitting with laptop, business graphics swirling around him like thought bubbles.
innovation mindset

Creating a Venture Capital Mindset

Established corporate enterprises tend to struggle at times when they focus on innovation initiatives. Often, organizations are leery of throwing reso…

A colorful galaxy-like image with a lot of circles, stars and effects.
innovation mindset

Is Transformational Innovation Possible?

One of the most interesting activities at this year’s Front End of Innovation (FEI 2024) was All Things Innovation’s annual roundtable discussion,…

Colorful USB plugs moving up like a chart from left to right.
innovation talent

Plugging into AI & ML Adoption

In the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer-packaged goods (CPG), the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is no lo…

A diamond and its facets.
technology

Finding the Value of Innovation

Gail Martino, VP Partnerships, 387Labs, was on hand at FEI 2024 as a moderator for the Brunch with the Bots presentation on the final day of the confe…

Three architects looking over blueprints at building site.
decentralized teams

Building the Right Data & Insights Team

You’ve heard it before: Data is the new oil. Just as crude oil needs refining to become valuable, data must be processed to unlock its potential. Ente…

The closeup of a jet engine.
testing

Creating a Culture of Experimentation

Many in the community feel that fostering a culture of innovation is paramount. A key to this is building a culture of experimentation. This stems fro…

A sphere in space, with data points of light
data science

Innovation in Action: Trends from FEI 2024

This past June, the vibrant city of Boston, known for its trailblazing spirit, became the epicenter of innovation as it hosted the Front End of Innova…

NASA space shuttle launching.
supply chain

The Journey to Commercialization

After all the research, ideation, strategy, planning, prototyping and other stages of the innovation journey, there comes a time when commercializatio…

Crumpled paper on top of idea/innovation sketch pad with drawing of light bulb.
innovation culture

FEI 2024 Report: The Future of Innovation

A successful three-day event marked Front End of Innovation (FEI) 2024 in Boston, held June 10 to 12 at the Omni Hotel at the Seaport. A reenergized a…

Lifting a hand weight at the gym/fitness theme.
market research

Harnessing the Power of Consumer Insights

Innovation doesn’t happen in a silo, and a great product or idea can only go so far on its own. Tapping into the pulse of your consumer is key to ta…

A variety of ingredients in spoons. Diversity.
innovation talent

Creating the Right Innovation Team

Innovation was often seen as the task of a lone inventor, but that mindset has changed over the years. Rather than the solitary genius approach to inn…

A bunch of bees on honeycomb.
collective intelligence

Cultivating a Collective Intelligence Mindset

In today’s modern age of innovation, cooperation and collaboration are key approaches to take in solving complex problems. Cross-collaboration and i…

Futuristic city at night with data points of light rising from the bottom.
partnerships

Mapping Out the Data-Innovation Journey

This year, in our latest Innovation Perspectives Report, the editors of All Things Innovation brought together a cross-section of innovation, insights…

An accelerating speedometer.
innovation analytics

Accelerating a Data-Driven Approach

If we accept that data lies at the heart of marketing and business decision-making, a data-driven approach must be paramount in today’s environment….

a surface of black cubes rising from floor, varying heights, one stands out in yellow above the rest.
artificial intelligence

Leveraging AI in B2B Respondent Insights

In the B2B marketing landscape, artificial intelligence has shown great potential. It is becoming an essential and advantageous tool, a tool which no…

coin operated binoculars and open blue sky
data science

The Road to FEI24: Analytics for Innovation

Anu Sundaram, Vice President, Business Analytics, Rue Gilt Groupe, is planning an interactive analytics session for FEI 2024, taking place this June….

A smiling little robot
technology

The Road to FEI24: Brunch with the Bots

Samantha Johnson, Founder & CEO at Tatum Robotics, will take part in FEI 2024 in several ways, including participating in the keynote sessions, “Bru…

laboratory beaker with dropper
innovation insights

Transform New Product Development with AI

While AI is certainly touted as being able to create rapid data-driven insights, there are advantages in the new product development process that can…

football chalk game plan
innovation principles

Innovation Principles, 6/7

Development strategy (i.e., Game Plan) is a set of choices within applicable constraints and trade-offs that defines our development approach and posi…

explorer in a cave
user experience

Applying AI to Anthropological Research

Agile research and methodologies are of primary importance to the innovation discipline, as they promote a more versatile, rapid, adaptive approach to…

Shopper in a grocery store.
innovation technology

8 Risks If You Don’t Have an AI Strategy

In the fast-paced world of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), where product life cycles are short and consumer trends shift with lightning speed, stay…

prompt engineering
innovative prompts

Positioning the Role of Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is one of the latest buzzwords when it comes to artificial intelligence, but what is this evolving and complex job function? Some m…

artificial intelligence

Powering AI-Driven Innovation

The advancements in artificial intelligence have rapidly impacted and transformed the business world around us. For insights and innovation, it has in…

data management

Finding Best Practices for Data Management

Data management is critical in today’s innovation and overall business environment. This ensures that data is collected, cleansed, analyzed and stor…

innovation strategy

The Benefits of Innovative Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship and innovation are closely linked concepts but also distinct and separate stages in business. Defining both is helpful from both an o…

venture capital

Navigating the Nascent Stage of Innovation

There might be more inherent uncertainty in a nascent industry or early startup venture, with many questions and challenges unanswered, bringing compl…

technology

Gaining an Innovation Edge with Automation

With the focus on how artificial intelligence, as well as digital transformation efforts, can help streamline operations, it’s worth another look at…

agile innovation

Creating the Right Innovation Partnership

Corporations often face many challenges when it comes to developing innovation in a fast, evolving market. They can face barriers such as inertia, the…

innovation culture

Bringing Sales and Innovation Together

Just how can innovation and sales work together to find success? Too often, companies find themselves stuck in their respective departments and the si…

digital transformation

Advancing Universal Interaction

Artificial intelligence, specifically generative AI, has the potential to be a great equalizing disruptive technology of our time. While we are still…

large language models

How AI is Redefining Business Strategy

Over the last year, AI went from being the next big thing to being the Big Thing. In particular, Large Language Models (LLMs) from companies like Open…

disruptive innovation

Shaping the Future with Disruptive Technology

As we head into 2024, innovation of all types, most especially in technology, will continue to disrupt, transform and impact our lives, from the workp…

partnerships

Embracing Open Innovation

Open innovation is a growing tactic for today’s globalized enterprises. Rather than focusing just on closed loop systems and internal sources, such…

innovation partnerships

Balancing the Innovation Partnership

Startup and corporate partnerships are a delicate balancing act but one that can maximize innovation success for both partners. Certainly, there are c…

generative AI

The Impact of AI on Innovation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a profound impact and influence on a broad range of industries. From healthcare to publishing to industrial fie…

innovation performance

Measuring Innovation Performance

Innovation can be a key component to drive a company’s success and performance, in both short-term and long-term initiatives. Yet many executives gr…

digital transformation

Living in A Digital Transformation World

Digital transformation (DX) has been a hot topic in the innovation space for some time, but the term can be easily misunderstood as well. As we accele…

Innovation Resources
innovation partnerships

External Partnerships Fuel Innovation

As part of the continuing series of conversations at FEI with All Things Innovation’s Seth Adler, next on tap is Eric Agdeppa, R&D Director, Innovat…

artificial intelligence

AI Photo Shoot: Innovation Catalyst or Killer?

In a groundbreaking move, Glamour magazine in Bulgaria has unveiled the first-ever magazine cover shoot entirely generated by artificial intelligence…

product innovation

People Remain the Critical Link to Innovation

All Things Innovation’s Seth Adler got a chance to sit down with Milan Ivosevic, VP R&D, CooperSurgical, at this year’s FEI conference. Ivosevic a…

design thinking

Supporting Data with Design Thinking

At FEI, All Things Innovation conducted a special roundtable, bringing cross industry, cross disciplinarians together to talk about transformation and…

innovation talent

Achieving Transformational Innovation

At FEI, All Things Innovation conducted a special roundtable, bringing cross industry, cross disciplinarians together to talk about transformation and…

innovation team

The Finance Factor in Innovation

The finance function in an organization often gets tabbed as a bottom line-oriented, conservative department that more often than not stifles innovati…

product innovation

Sizing Up Your Innovation’s Impact

If your company has successfully developed an innovative product or service, you might be at the stage of the process known as scalability. Perhaps yo…

product innovation

Leading with Product Innovation

At its core, in the consumer packaged goods world, an innovative product can make an impact in the marketplace and stand out with a focus on newness….

marketing insights

The Value of Insights for Innovation

Integrating insights into innovation is always a challenge but rewards the innovation team with a better understanding of their product or service and…

design thinking

Generating Innovation Through Ideation

Ideation is often confused with innovation, along with other related terms regarding the creative process, such as brainstorming or design thinking. W…

disruptive innovation

Defining Disruptive Innovation

Disruptive innovation is often a phrase used to make a splash in the business world. Some may debate that the label has been applied carelessly at tim…

data analytics

Diving Into Humanity-Centric Innovation

With the continued emergence and evolving development of artificial intelligence, there rises a question of how humans and AI can work together more e…

advancing innovation

Innovating Through the Metaverse

The Metaverse is a shifting, undefined topic, which is currently the center of much speculation and hype. However, at its center, the concept of the M…

start-ups

Perspectives On Corporate Venturing

The Rolling Stones might have famously sung, “Start Me Up,” back in the 1980s, and Microsoft later tapped the tune for its Windows 95 marketing ca…

product innovation

15 Second Workday

This morning I generated 40 new product ideas with concepts and ad copy to accompany each.  It took 15 seconds. This is just a small fraction of what…

technology

Innovation Reality

When working remotely, the main challenge is bringing people into an office when they live across the country or around the world. The AES Corporation…

start-ups

Innovation Ventures

The movement for startups and corporate venturing is becoming more and more of a trend in organizations according to Chris Varley, Principal of Goodye…

corporate innovation

Interaction Innovation

We are at a time in history of incredible change and technological innovations, such as the rise of machine intelligence, and companies who keep doing…

technology

Humanity-Centric Innovation

Humanity-centric innovation is the idea of solving the biggest problems facing humanity in an economically viable way. Pete Dulcamara, Chief Scientist…

innovation culture

Measurable Innovation

Each company has their own KPIs that are important to their specific business in place to progress and be successful. Are people at the forefront of i…

extitutional

Rolling Innovation

If you’ve done it once, you can do it again. Make sure to keep doing it, it’s rolling innovation. Amber Case sits down with us to discuss how impo…

strategic innovation

Innovation Intelligence

It seems that innovation is one of the biggest buzzwords in business now. To sustain growth and be competitive in the marketplace, companies in every…