Should You Slow Down to Scale Right? CIO Answer to AI Hype

MILIND KHAMKAR, Group CIO of a major consumer products company, provides a counterargument in an AI world that is characterized by excitement and speed: clarity should come before size.

- By Musharrat Shahin | [e-mail]

In this exclusive interview with CIO&Leader, Khamkar highlights the advantages of deliberate, ROI-focused adoption vs hasty experimentation. Given the limited constraints and intricate procedures, his team places a high priority on ethical AI, weighing use cases against scalability, cost, and business fit. His strategy strikes a mix between creativity and discipline, from piloting quality assurance and real-time OEE use cases to managing an enterprise-wide AI Ignite session. As interest in GenAI grows, Khamkar reminds us that preparedness, relevance, and governance are more important for success in AI than speed.

CIO&Leader: What has been your most significant learning while moving AI projects from pilot to production?

MILIND KHAMKAR: Our most significant learning has been the importance of discipline over speed. Given the current hype cycle surrounding AI, we’ve approached adoption with measured caution, recognizing it as a double-edged sword—full of potential, but also risk.

Being a low-margin, high-volume consumer product manufacturer, any technology introduced midstream must directly align with business outcomes. We’ve made it clear internally: only tangible success or measurable benefit justifies AI implementation. We're comfortable being late adopters, if it means the solution is sound, safe, and scalable.