Understanding the Potential of Artificial Intelligence

In 2008, Daniel Hulme started Satalia, a company that uses data science, machine learning, and optimization (making the best use of resources) to build customized platforms that solve tough logistics problems involving products, services, and people. Lately, Hulme has spent a good portion of his time explaining the ins and outs of artificial intelligence to other CEOs. He sees a big information gap at the top of most companies -- yet this is where technology investment decisions are made. Misunderstanding AI, Hulme believes, can mean both overestimating its value and underestimating its impact. Satalia's work is a leading example of what AI is currently good at. Not coincidentally, it is also the commercialization of Hulme's research at University College London (UCL), where he is the director of the business analytics master's degree program. Satalia's clients are household names in the U.K.; they include Tesco, DFS, and the British Broadcasting Corporation. PwC's Global CEO Survey: Providing unique insight into the thinking of corporate leaders around the world, PwC's annual Global CEO Survey covers issues such as the prospects for economic growth, the challenges of building a workforce, the threats facing companies today, and the impact of AI. www.ceosurvey.pwc The increasingly competitive market for AI expertise is both a blessing and a curse for Satalia. The company can't attract talent through salaries alone, so it also relies on an innovative management concept.