The AI Interview: Simone Larsson, Lenovo
Lenovo's Simone Larsson explores how sustainable infrastructure and data sovereignty are redefining the future of enterprise AI

TL;DR
- Organizations are moving beyond generative AI excitement to practical, large-scale implementation.
- Simone Larsson leads Lenovo's EMEA AI team, focusing on sustainable and human-centered AI solutions.
- Her career evolved through software engineering, ERP implementation, big data, and technology service design.
- A pivotal moment was developing a bespoke chatbot, leading her to specialize in AI.
- Key challenges in AI integration include infrastructure, data foundations, and operating models not being ready.
- Data sovereignty is paramount, with 88% of IT decision-makers viewing it as a primary concern.
- AI workloads are forcing a rethink of data center design, emphasizing power density, energy efficiency, and low latency.
- Innovations like liquid cooling and modular builds are becoming essential for scaling AI.
- Competitive advantage in AI will come from enterprises combining scalable AI platforms with sovereign, sustainable infrastructure.
- Open ecosystems and partnerships with local cloud providers are crucial for flexibility and control.