Welcome to the new EPIC! Aligned with our new mission statement and our new branding. Learn more

AI – not always the shortcut we expect

By Adam Ben Yousef,

SVP Commercial Planning & RGM, 09 Solutions

Artificial intelligence continues to dominate business conversations, but what can it realistically deliver today? In this session, Adam Ben-Yousef offered a balanced and practical perspective on AI’s evolving impact on retail and consumer goods organizations. Separating hype from reality, he explained the strengths and limitations of large language models, emphasizing that today’s AI is best viewed as a productivity tool rather than a replacement for human reasoning.

The presentation explored how businesses should match AI capabilities to different types of problems, from deterministic and data-driven tasks to qualitative decision making and insight generation. Adam also highlighted the importance of reliable data, governed business logic, and hybrid neurosymbolic approaches that combine traditional systems with AI interfaces. His message was clear: sustainable value comes from improving productivity, planning, and decision quality rather than simply deploying AI for its own sake.

Talk details

Share This EGE Talk

Make sure your friends and colleagues don’t miss this

LinkedIn
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Email

About the speaker

Adam Ben Yousef

SVP Commercial Planning & RGM, 09 Solutions

Adam Ben-Yousef is SVP of Revenue Growth Management at o9 Solutions, with more than 15 years of experience across strategy, technology, marketing and innovation. He works with global consumer and retail companies to strengthen commercial decision-making and drive profitable growth through pricing, promotions, assortment and marketing investment.

Previously, Ben-Yousef held senior leadership roles at Diageo, where he worked across innovation, marketing effectiveness and corporate strategy. He brings a strong perspective on connecting technology, analytics and commercial strategy to transform how businesses manage revenue and make growth decisions.

YouTube

This content is blocked because YouTube cookies have not been accepted.

Adam Ben Yousef — AI - not always the shortcut we expect

Every commercial team has been told AI will fix their pricing, and almost none of them have been told where it quietly makes things worse. Adam Ben Yousef gives the honest version, where AI genuinely compresses weeks into hours, and where it produces a plausible-looking answer nobody in the room could actually defend.

Talk media library