Austin Tech Connect welcomes back data and AI expert (and ATC board member) Ronnie Sheth for a very real conversation about what is actually happening inside companies trying to adopt AI. Ronnie helps organizations design human first experiences with data and AI, and she brings both a strategic lens and a deep sense of responsibility to how this technology shows up in our businesses and our community. She also cares deeply about Austin as a global tech hub and about the Austin Technology Council's role as a connector across the ecosystem.

In this episode Ronnie explains why AI adoption numbers are slipping and why that is not a sign that AI has lost its shine. Drawing on recent reports from the U.S. Census Bureau and MIT, she points out that many generative AI pilots are failing not because the tools are weak, but because companies never built the foundation. They jumped to "doing AI" without a clear data strategy, without thinking through adoption and scale, and without asking the basic question, "Is our data ready for this?"

Ronnie makes a compelling case that data excellence is the real starting point. Companies need high quality, trusted data and a clear vision for how it supports decisions, innovation, risk management, and AI models. She shares how her clients move from vague "data governance" conversations to concrete strategy, and why data must be treated as an asset that can quickly turn into a liability if handled poorly.

We also dig into regulation, ethics, and the human side of AI. Ronnie describes AI as a "collection of humanity" and reminds leaders that AI is not yet a prescriptive oracle. It is a thought partner that can amplify human intelligence, not a fix for broken processes or culture.

The Austin Tech Connect Podcast is presented by Calavista Software, software development without the drama.