Ramendra Rout

expert panel

Artificial intelligence is often framed as a race: faster models, bigger investments, larger datasets and more powerful infrastructure. But beneath the headlines lies a more consequential question for business leaders, policymakers and investors alike: Who gets to compete?A growing share of the AI ecosystem is controlled by a relatively small number of organizations with access to the world's largest compute resources, proprietary datasets and distribution channels. This means the debate is no longer simply about what AI can do but about whether the next wave of innovation will emerge from an open marketplace of ideas or from a handful of dominant ecosystems.To explore that question, we asked members of the Senior Executive AI Think Tank—a curated community of leaders specializing in machine learning, generative AI, digital transformation and enterprise AI applications—what single rule they would change to improve AI competition.While their recommendations differ, a clear theme emerges: The future of AI should be shaped by innovation, trust and customer value rather than lock-in, opacity or concentrated control. The following insights offer a timely look at how technology and business leaders believe a more competitive—and in many cases safer—AI ecosystem can be built.

expert panel

As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, many organizations are discovering a hard truth: Traditional metrics fail to capture real AI impact. Tracking pilots, usage rates or cost savings may signal progress, but they rarely reveal whether AI is fundamentally improving how a business operates. Members of the Senior Executive AI Think Tank—a curated group of leaders specializing in machine learning, generative AI and enterprise transformation—argue that success requires a more rigorous, outcome-driven framework. According to a recent Forbes analysis on scaling AI adoption across enterprise systems, only a small percentage of organizations successfully translate AI experimentation into measurable business value at scale. To move forward, boards and CEOs must rethink what success looks like. The following perspectives outline the KPIs that matter most—not as isolated metrics, but as signals of whether AI is delivering sustained, enterprise-level value.

expert panel

The race to deploy artificial intelligence is accelerating—and so is the pressure on leaders to act. From boardrooms to product teams, executives are being asked the same question: How fast can we get AI into production? But as organizations rush to capitalize on generative AI, the risks—hallucinations, data leaks and brand damage—are becoming harder to ignore. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report on AI risk management emphasizes that without proper governance, AI systems can introduce significant reliability, security and accountability risks into enterprise environments. Insights from the Senior Executive AI Think Tank suggest that this is not a simple trade-off between speed and safety. Instead, it’s a leadership challenge that requires rethinking how organizations define competitive advantage. Below, Think Tank members discuss whether being first with AI is truly the advantage leaders think it is—or if the real differentiator is trust built through disciplined execution, strong governance and a clear understanding of where AI delivers value.