Gary Thompson, president of the Executive Council, sets the stage for a session on AI for exec members, underscoring the trust and confidentiality integral to their "vault" discussions. He introduces panelists—Barak, Craig, and Diego—who will delve into AI, particularly focusing on unpacking generative AI (Gen AI). Barak, with extensive AI experience at Google and now Cisco, outlines the evolution from traditional AI to Gen AI, highlighting its democratization and transformative potential.

Continuing the conversation, Craig from AWS and Diego from Deloitte emphasize the broader and more accessible application of AI today, thanks to advancements in large language models and increased consumer engagement with tools like ChatGPT. They acknowledge that AI has transitioned from theoretical discussions to practical, impactful implementations in businesses and everyday life, revolutionizing how unstructured data is utilized for personalized experiences and other use cases.

Diego elaborates on the distinction between traditional AI and generative AI, noting the latter's disruption of knowledge work by generating human-quality responses from large, unsupervised datasets. He emphasizes the importance of integrating both traditional and generative AI effectively, urging clients to understand which type of AI suits specific tasks. Barak then provides a nuanced view of AI applications, distinguishing between fluency and accuracy and suggesting a framework for effectively applying AI in various contexts, balancing fluency and accuracy as needed.

The discussion shifts towards how generative AI use cases are developed and prioritized, underlining the importance of a solid data strategy. Diego mentions the creation of a seven-layer adoption framework, while Craig highlights the crucial role of a data strategy in deriving value from generative AI. Governance and security of data, particularly concerning personally identifiable information (PII), are also discussed, with emphasis on the need for a rigorous approach to security and responsible strategies for AI use in the enterprise.