Ali Ghodsi, Co-Founder & CEO at Databricks, delivered the opening keynote at GIC’s 2025 Bridge Forum Summit. Here are some excerpts from his session:

Necessity of Becoming an AI Company

Integrating AI into business operations is no longer optional—it’s essential for staying competitive. Databricks is leading the charge, offering impressive results like a 482% ROI and a payback period of just four months. With over 10,000 customers, including industry giants like Shell and Adobe, Databricks is setting the standard in enterprise AI solutions.

Real-World Applications of AI

Databricks is helping organizations all over the world harness AI effectively. For example, Crisis Text Line uses AI to provide mental health support, employing large language models to assess risk and tailor responses. FactSet has transitioned from programming languages to natural language queries, showcasing the versatility of AI applications.

The Evolving Landscape of AI Agents

While AI agents are gaining traction, we are still in the early stages of their development. Reliability remains a challenge, with many agents requiring human oversight. The focus is on identifying use cases where AI can add real value, especially in scenarios where organizations have a data advantage.

The Importance of Evaluation and Governance

It cannot be overstated how important the need is for robust evaluation benchmarks to assess AI systems’ effectiveness. Organizations cannot rely solely on self-reported metrics, there must be a structured approach to evaluate AI’s impact on business outcomes. Unified governance is crucial to maintaining data integrity and security across all AI applications.

Navigating the Future of AI

As organizations adopt AI, adopting a nimble approach is critical. Do not elect for multiple governance solutions, this will confuse your efforts. Instead, opt for a single, comprehensive system to streamline operations. Increased regulation around AI is likely, but open-source solutions will be vital in overcoming these challenges.