Earlier this year, dentsu and NBCUniversal hosted an exclusive lunch and thought-provoking conversation in London, bringing together industry leaders to unpack the key themes emerging from this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.
Set within the elegant surroundings of Aprocity, with a menu crafted by Chantelle Nicholson, the UK’s first Green Michelin-starred chef, this event provided a rare opportunity for open and candid dialogue under Chatham House rules.
The conversation was led by Deep Bagchee, President of CNBC International, Arjun Kharpal, CNBC's Senior Technology Correspondent, and Hamish Kinniburgh, Chief Strategy and Consulting Officer at dentsu. Together, they explored the forces shaping business, technology, and society, focusing particularly on the evolving role of AI and data in decision making.
“At dentsu, we’ve entered the algorithmic era, where algorithms powered by AI underpin the modern media landscape. It’s something we think all our clients should closely follow,” said Hamish Kinniburgh, Chief Strategy and Consulting Officer, dentsu.
A key theme that emerged was the challenge of navigating AI with two ambitions:
- Setting a long-term strategic North Star, where digital, data, and technology ambitions are aligned across the entire organization, from marketing to finance and logistics, while
- Simultaneously maintaining a fast-moving cycle of experimentation, testing and refining strategies to drive immediate gains without losing sight of broader objectives.
Many organizations struggle to reconcile the long- and short-term challenges. They either over invest in long-term strategies without tangible progress, or they chase short-term wins without a unifying vision. But as quantum computing advances predictive intelligence at scale, the next challenge is quantum operating - enabling organizations to make and act on decisions at the same speed as insights are generated.
As AI, data, and quantum computing continue to redefine the landscape, the need for thoughtful discussion and collaboration has never been greater. This event was just a glimpse into the conversations that will shape the algorithmic era, and a reminder that the future isn’t just something to predict, but something to actively build.
Every day, dentsu X innovation experts guide our clients to do just that – to actively build their success in this algorithmic era by balancing considerations and resources for both long- and short-term objectives while boldly forging new experiences that push tomorrow’s limits. To learn more, contact us at hello@dxglobal.com.
Image source: World Economic Forum
