Varun Nagalia

SVP Digital & CIO – Enterprise Systems IKEA

Panel Discussion:
From FOMO to Foundations: Scaling Responsible AI in Complex Enterprises
The time has come to take a brutally honest look at AI readiness. Enterprises cannot scale responsible AI on top of architectures taped together with legacy systems, brittle integrations and cloud parameters that were never designed for how AI actually behaves. This panel examines what it truly takes to shift from hype-driven pilots to mature, explainable, human-centred AI at scale, all whilst cutting costs, protecting operations and keeping pace with fast-moving regulation. Leaders will explore how to rebuild data and architecture foundations in the middle of large scale transformations, how to move organisations from FOMO fuelled experimentation to deliberate deployment, and how to embed ethical, transparent AI into operating models rather than bolting it on under pressure.
 • Debating modernisation pathways by examining whether enterprises should capitalise on AI opportunities through bite-size increments, or rewiring the architecture all at once
 • Scaling through deliberate deployments by moving from pilots to disciplined, governed rollouts that reduce risk, accelerate maturity and create repeatable patterns for enterprise-wide adoption.
 • Embedding explainability into the operating model, ensuring transparency, auditability, regulatory alignment and human oversight