From pilots to production: overcoming barriers

What does it really take to move AI from impressive demos into the hands of the people who keep the world running every day?

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black, to explore a side of AI that rarely gets the spotlight. While much of the conversation around artificial intelligence focuses on chatbots and copilots, Kriti is working in environments where failure is not an option. Manufacturing plants, energy grids, airlines, and field service operations all depend on precision, experience, and consistency. What struck me early in our conversation was how she reframes the entire AI debate. The challenge is not building the technology, it is building trust in it.

Kriti's journey into AI began long before it became a boardroom priority. From building her first robot as a teenager to advising global organizations and policymakers, she has always focused on solving real problems rather than chasing trends. That perspective carries through into her work today, where she spends time on factory floors wearing safety gear alongside engineers and technicians.

It is a hands-on approach that reveals something many leaders miss. People do not adopt AI because it is advanced. They adopt it when it solves a problem they recognize in their day-to-day work.

One of the most interesting themes we explored was the widening gap between what AI can do and how quickly organizations are ready to use it. Kriti described how that gap plays out on the ground, especially among deskless workers who make up the majority of the global workforce.

In these environments, the conversation is far less about replacing jobs and far more about preserving knowledge, improving consistency, and helping people perform at their best. When a veteran worker with decades of experience walks out the door, that expertise often leaves with them. AI, when designed well, can help capture and share that knowledge across an entire workforce.

We also discussed how IFS Nexus Black is tackling what many describe as "pilot purgatory," where companies experiment with AI but struggle to deploy it at scale. Kriti shared how building solutions alongside customers, rather than handing over generic tools, leads to faster adoption and measurable results.

Real-world examples brought this to life, including how industrial AI is helping organizations move from reactive firefighting to proactive decision-making, reducing downtime and improving operational performance in ways that directly impact the bottom line.

As our conversation moved toward the future, Kriti offered a clear message for leaders. The best way to prepare for AI is to start using it. Not as a novelty, but as a daily tool that can amplify how work gets done. The organizations that encourage experimentation and share those learnings across teams are the ones most likely to see real impact.

So as AI continues to evolve at pace, the question is no longer whether the technology is ready. It is whether organizations and their people are ready to meet it halfway, and what happens if they are not?