How Businesses Can Get AI Right: Governance, ROI & Human Accountability | Dr. Shakti Goel

How can businesses move AI from experimentation to real-world impact?

In this episode of the Regulating AI Podcast, recorded live at the Universal AI Awards launch in Delhi, Sanjay Puri speaks with Dr. Shakti Goel, Chief Architect & Data Scientist at Yatra Online Ltd., about the practical challenges of implementing AI across modern businesses. 

The conversation explores why companies need strong data governance and AI governance before deploying AI at scale, and why reliable AI ultimately depends on reliable data.

Dr. Shakti Goel explains why businesses need clearly defined use cases, measurable KPIs, strong business backing, and subject matter expertise before moving AI into production. He also shares a practical approach to identifying AI use cases that deliver measurable business outcomes, from improving customer resolution times and developer productivity to hyperpersonalization and automating repetitive tasks.

The discussion then turns to one of the most important questions surrounding AI in the travel industry: where should we draw the line between automation and human accountability?

While AI can handle straightforward tasks such as flight bookings and travel recommendations, Dr. Goel explains why complex situations involving visas, disruptions, family travel and unexpected circumstances still require human intervention.

The conversation concludes with a powerful vision for India’s AI future: multilingual AI that can bring people across Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities into the mainstream by making essential services such as banking, insurance, agriculture and education accessible in India’s diverse languages and dialects.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why AI needs reliable data and strong governance

00:43 – Live from the Universal AI Awards in Delhi

01:12 – What companies are getting wrong about AI

01:36 – Is AI a business transformation or just an IT project?

01:51 – Why data governance and AI governance matter

02:13 – Building the right AI platform and foundation

02:21 – Choosing the right AI use cases

02:56 – How to measure AI ROI

03:19 – Measuring business outcomes from AI

03:42 – Using AI to automate repetitive work

04:00 – AI and the future of the travel industry

04:17 – Where should AI automation stop?

04:24 – Simple AI use cases vs. complex situations

05:03 – Why human intervention still matters

05:18 – What should we get right about AI today?

05:32 – The future of multilingual AI

05:46 – AI and India’s vernacular languages

05:52 – Can AI connect India’s diverse population?

06:04 – AI for banking, insurance, agriculture and education

06:16 – Bringing Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities into the mainstream

06:24 – Can AI unite India?

06:33 – Closing thoughts

Guest: Dr. Shakti Goel, Chief Architect & Data Scientist, Yatra Online Ltd.

Host: Soundarya Jayachandran

Recorded live: Universal AI Awards Launch, New Delhi

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