The 2002 cinematic masterpiece 'Minority Report,' a science fiction film featuring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, tells a story from the year 2054. It includes a memorable sequence where a GAP store advertisement identifies Tom Cruise's character through retinal scanning and

greets him: "Welcome back to the Gap, Mr. Yakamoto; how are those assorted tank tops working for you?" While Spielberg's vision of futuristic customer interaction was remarkably prescient, it appears he underestimated the time line. The advent of Artificial (AI) Intelligence, big data analytics, and machine learning have already enabled organizations to engage with their clientele on a deeply personalized level, surpassing his predictions by over thirty years.

In truth, AI is fast approaching its fine-tuning era, simultaneously expanding its use-cases. From conversational AI to healthcare and surgery, governance, and cyber security, the use cases are limitless. From AI fashion models resembling real people to managing crores of people at once, AI is relentless. Seematti, a century-old textile retail chain in Kerala, India, recently introduced India’s first-ever AI-powered fashion brand ambassador, Isha Ravi. They even created a full-fledged Instagram profile for the AI character. On the other hand, this year, the government of Uttar Pradesh is using AI-powered facial recognition and surveillance systems to manage more than 50 crore people expected during the Kumbh Mela of 2025. We are delighted to present this yearly special issue of CIO Insider, navigating the exciting future of AI. Do let us know about your thoughts.