tech
The AI Interview: Kaynaz Behdin
Kaynaz Behdin, SVP of Digital, Data & AI at Stellantis, details how the automotive giant is turning AI strategy into measurable business performance
TL;DR
- Kaynaz Behdin views AI at Stellantis as an enterprise capability focused on measurable business performance, not just experimentation.
- Her strategy involves a three-layered approach: a unified execution framework, embedded AI/Data Hubs, and global platforms for industrializing AI delivery.
- AI is applied across Stellantis' value chain to improve sales, reduce warranty costs, optimize logistics, enhance manufacturing uptime, and accelerate engineering cycles.
- Key criteria for AI use cases include business ownership, transformational potential, scalability, and adherence to safety and compliance frameworks.
- Organizational and human challenges, such as decision-making shifts and workforce adaptation, are considered greater obstacles than technological ones.
- Stellantis offers an AI Academy for persona-based enablement, aiming to embed AI literacy into daily working practices.
- Generative AI is expected to significantly impact in-vehicle experience, engineering, operations, and commercial performance, shifting AI from answering questions to taking action.
- Stellantis is implementing an Agent Gateway and Metabot to integrate AI agents into enterprise platforms and employee workflows.
- Governance is seen as an accelerator for innovation, with risk assessment and auditability integrated throughout the AI lifecycle.
- Future priorities include embedding AI into business functions, industrializing agentic AI at scale with abstraction layers, and ensuring value measurement and compliance by design.