Insight Snapshot
Welcome to the EMEA Confluence 2024 Insight Snapshot
Dive into the heart of Infosys EMEA Confluence 2024 with our real-time Insight Snapshot. Stay informed with the latest updates, key moments, inspiring quotes, highlights and takeaways from Day 1 and Day 2. Whether you’re attending in person or following along online, our live updates will keep you connected to all the action, insights, and innovations as they happen. Don’t miss a beat of this year’s most anticipated event!
Key Takeaways from Day 1
The vast and revolutionary potential of AI was painted in vivid colours - and sounds - for the audience of Confluence Europe on Day 1. However the sessions also provided pragmatic lessons in managing Enterprise AI transformations effectively, efficiently and responsibly.
Key takeaways from the diverse set of speakers included:
- AI is at its most powerful when driven by human creativity and imagination.
- Enterprise AI faces its own set of challenges and opportunities, and is distinct from Consumer AI.
- Focusing on strategy fundamentals is key when dealing with revolutionary change.
- Innovate with partners to embrace change both rapidly and responsibly.
- Most organisations are facing rapid AI driven evolutions and must bring humans along the journey to achieve a revolution.
At a time of great change, it’s important to move fast but also to ensure you have a clear strategy, an ability to bring in the best innovations, and keep humans at the centre of the transformation.
Session 1: Welcome Address
The Magic of AI came to life with stunning video footage of Venice, its buildings and people…and our on-screen master of ceremonies. Only for it then to be revealed that the whole show had been generated with a series of AI tools.
Then, coming on to stage, the real Katharina Moser revealed the various tools used that were used in combination to create this impressive illusion. From ChatGPT, Flux, and HeyGen, to Suno and Eleven labs, none of it could have been possible without human inspiration, input, and creativity.
Session 2: CEO's Address
Setting the tone for the day, Salil Parekh separated Consumer Generative AI from Enterprise Generative AI, which drives growth and productivity for business. It is here where Infosys' expertise within its clients' industries helps it make AI applicable and effective for growth as well as operational effectiveness.
Presenting multiple examples of AI success, the session also showcased how Infosys is invested in driving organic and sustainable growth in Europe.
Read moreAdditionally, it highlighted strong partnerships with technology vendors, ongoing training, and delivery strength to benefit clients in the region. Infosys’ commitment to social responsibility and sustainability was also shared, with particular mention of the partnership with Streetchild and Infosys’ ongoing leadership as a net zero company.
Speaker
Salil Parekh, CEO & MD, Infosys
Session 3: Leader’s Game Plans for a Changing World
Two businesses involved in the foundations of the digital and AI revolution – providing digital networks and de-carbonised energy – discussed with the Financial Times Innovation editor about how they think big, start small and scale fast.
Critical insights included being honest about your strengths and gaps, partnering where possible, using the AI revolution to reset and redefine work, and taking the fastest route to action.
Read moreCulture, consistency, and communication were also listed as important to bring the humans in your organization along the journey. But perhaps the best takeaway was “AI has made being a geek cool again!”
Speakers
Session 4: Turning Crisis into Opportunities: A Mission Oriented Approach
Mariana Mazzucato, a native of Venice, discussed how to re-evaluate value and transform the “meta-crises” of recession, pandemics, biodiversity collapse, and climate change into opportunities for growth. Central to her message is understanding and measuring the differences between value creation, value extraction, and value destruction.
Read moreThis understanding can be applied to stakeholder capitalism to support sustainable global growth. Mazzucato also advocated for re-evaluating public-private partnerships as “mission-driven” and learning from successful policies and business practices, rather than focusing on failures. She emphasized that while solutions are not easy, the cost of inaction is too high.
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Session 5: Navigating the Revolution: The Role of AI in Strategic Transformation
Mapping out emergence of agentic AI solutions, Rafee Tarafdar revealed how Infosys is using AI to accelerate its own efficiency and growth. Toyota’s Luis Lopez joined to explain his companies AI journey and how agents are being used to streamline processes, support decision making and amplify users. With data paucity being one of the biggest barriers to progress in AI, Cambridge professor Colm-Cille Caulfield shared his approach to using complex mathematics to fill data gaps.
Read moreHe aims to solve problems previously considered impossible by academia and business. His University is also using AI agents to replicate the abilities of a Phd student.
Speakers
Session 6: Exploring the Creative Potential of AI with Holly+
Pushing the boundaries of art, music and intellectual property, groundbreaking artist Holly Herndon introduced the Confluence audience to her vocal twin, known as Holly+.
Using ‘Timbre Transfer’, Holly+ is an AI voice that anyone can use to perform music as Holly. As an artist and technologist, Holly Herndon challenges us all to embrace a new era of “Identity play.”
Read moreShe also encourages a new understanding of how to reconsider the boundaries and opportunities of intellectual property, collaboration, and creativity. The audience were treated to a beautiful song by artist Ruthven, who sung both their own voice, as well as the AI generated voice of Holly+.
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Key Takeaways from Day 2
Radical leadership that takes practical steps - this was the theme of Day 2, which kicked off with an important call to action for business but followed with clear advice on changes required to succeed and thrive in the AI revolution.
Key takeaways from the day’s compelling sessions included:
- Continuous improvement is not enough. Leaders need to embrace radical change.
- And understanding of, and compliance with AI regulations can drive trust and adoption of AI.
- Leaders need to orchestrate change and communicate the vision to bring their whole organisation along the journey.
- CIOs should target shared goals and value with business stakeholders, such as CMOs or other business leaders driving AI adoption.
- AI can be used to drive sustainability and re-invigorate value chains.
The day, and conference ended with the poignant philosophy of Stan Wawrinka, so relevant to these times of experimentation and uncertainty. “To actually sustain momentum, sometimes you fail. But you have to get up. You have to push yourself.”
Session 1: Reinvention from the Boardroom
In a powerful opening session, Jim Hagemann Snabe, explained how the concept of continuous optimization has led to many inefficiencies in the global economy, and led boardrooms to focus on becoming “irrelevant more efficiently”.
Illustrating this with examples from automotive transportation, food value chains, and health systems, Hagemann provided pragmatic advice and insights.
Read moreDrawing from his experience in transforming Siemens into a digitally led hardware company, he explained how to reinvent businesses in today’s challenging global environment. Daring the audience to be courageous and ask, “why not”, Hagemann referred to Venice and defined reinvention as “the necessity to be radical, unless you want to become a museum.”
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Session 2: Collaborative Innovation: How Partnerships Power Digital Growth
Picking up on the thread of partnerships from Day 1, David Wilson and Marc Waters discussed the importance of strong technology partners as we transition from the Cloud era into the AI era.
Infosys is the Hewlett Packard Enterprise partner of the year for 2024, but also it has tripled the client business that it has delivered with its technology partners such as HP and Nvidia as AI grows in prominence.
Read moreAs with many successful partnerships, Waters described Infosys as architects with great expertise and vision, and HP as the engineers who together can deliver complex and sustainable solutions in a fast moving and crowded environment. As Infosys also provides services to HP, Waters went on to conclude that it’s trust that makes the real difference in this partnership.
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Session 3: Derisk As You Democratize: The Ramifications of the EU AI Act
How many Confluence attendees who are implementing AI have involved lawyers from their compliance teams? Probably not enough, according to the quick poll that Inderpreet Sawhney asked of the audience at the start of this session.
But there is time if companies act now according to Nokia’s Ingrid Viitanen who described how her firm is dealing with this challenge of including multiple stakeholders and fast-moving innovations within the framework of the EU AI Act regulations.
Read moreIn another positive note, Dirk Naumann described such regulations as more of a “speed bump” rather than an obstacle to innovation because it is providing the basis for trust within the use of this revolutionary new technology. It will hopefully in time bring business to Europe because there is trust in the continent’s use and deployment of AI.
Speakers
Session 4: From Variables To Value in the New Digital Era
With a strategic perspective on successfully digital transformation, moderator Steven Hal guided the conversation from the boardroom perspective, through a discussion on the power of ecosystems, and finally concluding on the importance of sustainability. Susanne Schustin and Satish H.C. spoke about the importance of culture change, partnership and shared vision that form the foundations of a successful transformation.
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Session 5: Data Driven Experiences: the CIO-CMO Alliance
Marketers are big adopters of AI according to Infosys’ recently published CMO Radar research report – but there is still a significant opportunity to improve the relationship between CMOs, leading the charge in AI, and CIOs, that are providing the power and platforms to support their success. This panel provided clear examples on how to reduce silos, improve collaboration, and achieve success by effective partnership between the tech and marketing.
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Session 6: Green Business: A Blueprint for a Better Tomorrow
Bringing together a wide range of senior executives from across the electrification and energy sector, this session discussed the rapid expansion and adoption of electrification, the transformation that this has required in infrastructure and consumer engagement – and how AI has begun to support and accelerate this change. A major challenge was assessing Scope 3 emissions, tackled through a partnership between Infosys and the Economist Impact.
Read moreThe panel also advocated for clarity from policy makers, the need to look at oneself rather than others, the need for a just energy transition, the benefits of green bonds and financing…and finally, why you should cook your potatoes in an air fryer!
Speakers
Session 7: The Power of Perseverance: Stan Wawrinka's Journey to Greatness
Tennis legend Stan Wawrinka shared his perspective and insights on how failure can be more important than success, how he does not believe in being superstitious - despite his famous shorts - and how he practices fitness for his mind as well as his body. Stan’s philosophy starts with understanding oneself, persevering and keeping positive. Questions included sustaining perseverance, Stan’s friendly interactions with ball kids, and his view on removing line judges at Wimbledon.
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