As I walked through CES 2025 show floor, surrounded by the hum of cutting-edge technology and the buzz of ambition, it was both engaging and stimulating, but it made me reflect – “How is all of this going to work?” How do you make money? And therefore, how do you lead? It’s one thing to read about AI’s rapid advancement—it’s another to see it in action.
For instance, NVIDIA’s groundbreaking new hardware and generative AI platforms, like Gigalogy’s Maira and Perplexity.ai, reflect how much possibility lies ahead. But it isn’t just technology – it is about what these tools mean for leadership and our decisions as we navigate this transformative era.
SPEED OF TRANSFORMATION: LEADERSHIP IN SYNC WITH AI EVOLUTION
One of the most striking takeaways from CES was the sheer velocity of AI’s evolution. NVIDIA, for instance, unveiled the Blackwell RTX 50 Series GPUs, designed to accelerate AI applications across industries, showcasing just how fast AI is transforming the way we work and innovate. Leaders today face an unprecedented challenge: how to match the speed of these advancements with equally swift strategic action.
Leadership can no longer be a slow, deliberative process. Organizations must embrace an agile approach that prioritizes rapid learning and adaptation. Seeing NVIDIA’s Cosmos platform, which uses synthetic data to train autonomous systems, reinforced the idea that businesses that hesitate will inevitably fall behind. Companies need leaders who are not just reactive but proactive, anticipating where AI will create value and ensuring their organizations are prepared to leverage it.
SUPERAUTOMATION AND SUPEREXECUTION: THE NEW OPERATIONAL PARADIGM
CES highlighted a shift from isolated automation to what NVIDIA and others have termed “superautomation.” This goes beyond task-level automation, transforming entire workflows and enabling machines to execute complex processes with minimal human oversight. NVIDIA’s Cosmos and similar platforms are proof that the future of business will be defined by “superexecution”—operations driven by flawless, machine-led precision.
But while machines excel at execution, creativity and strategic vision remain uniquely human strengths. Leadership in this era is about finding the right balance: leveraging AI for execution while fostering a culture where human creativity drives innovation. Platforms like Gigalogy’s Maira, which makes AI application development accessible without coding expertise, embody this balance. They empower businesses to supercharge their operations without losing sight of the human element that makes their work meaningful.
AI INTEGRATION IN LEADERSHIP: STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS
AI’s ubiquity at CES made it clear that integrating these technologies is no longer optional—it’s essential. But integration must be deliberate, guided by key questions that every leader must address:
1. How much AI should be integrated?
Leaders must strike a balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining human oversight. Mistral’s open-weight AI models, showcased at CES, offer a great example of how flexibility can allow businesses to integrate AI where it makes the most sense, without overhauling their entire infrastructure.
2. Where can AI add the most value?
Not all processes benefit equally from AI. The most value often lies in areas where AI can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, or drive innovation. Seeing Perplexity.ai’s conversational AI capabilities made it clear that customer engagement, data analysis, and decision-making are ripe for AI-driven transformation.
3. What costs and resources are required?
Deploying AI systems requires investments in hardware, training, and ongoing support. NVIDIA’s $3,000 DIGITS AI desktop solution showcased at CES is a perfect example of how these costs are becoming more accessible, enabling businesses of all sizes to start their AI journey.
CONCLUSION: INSPIRATION AND ACTION IN THE AGE OF AI
Walking away from CES 2025, I couldn’t help but feel inspired—not just by the incredible technology but by the possibilities it opens up for leadership. Seeing the best minds at companies like NVIDIA, Gigalogy, Perplexity.ai, and Mistral was a powerful reminder that the future is here, and it’s being shaped by those who are bold enough to embrace it.
But with this inspiration comes responsibility. AI is not just about technology; it’s about people, strategy, and vision. Leaders must ask the right questions, make deliberate choices, and guide their organizations through this transformation. The tools I saw at CES are excellent, but it’s up to us to use them wisely—to create, innovate, and lead in ways that machines never can. CES was a journey into what’s possible, and I can’t wait to see how we all make those possibilities a reality.
