Description: In this episode from Google Cloud Next 2025, we dive deep into Best Buy's AI transformation with Ashley Daniels, VP of Product Management. Discover how one of America's largest retailers approached AI implementation strategically, moving from 93 contact center applications to a unified solution.

Ashley shares the real story behind Best Buy's AI journey - the quick wins, unexpected challenges, and why your foundation matters more than the technology itself. From gift finder tools to revolutionizing customer care, learn practical strategies for implementing AI that actually drives business outcomes.

Key insights covered:

• Why treating AI as a "tool in the toolbox" leads to better results
• The importance of starting with customer experience, not technology
• How to build strategic partnerships for AI implementation
• Why domain expertise becomes more critical in an AI world
• Real timeline: Getting AI summarization live in 6-8 weeks

Whether you're in retail, customer service, or leading digital transformation initiatives, this conversation offers actionable insights for your AI strategy.

Hosted by Maribel Lopez, founder and principal analyst at Lopez Research who interviewed Ashley Daniels, the VP of Product Management at Best Buy.

You can follow Ashley here https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-daniels1219/ and Maribel here https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribellopez/

Guest Profile

Liz Centoni brings over 25 years of experience at Cisco where she currently leads a team of 20,000+ people dedicated to helping customers maximize the value of their technology investments. She also serves on the boards of Mercedes-Benz and Workday.

Episode Highlights

Cisco's Unique Position in the AI Landscape

• Liz outlines Cisco's three-pillar approach to AI:
  1. Investment in back-end AI networks with hyperscalers
  2. Enterprise deployment of secure AI use cases
  3. Meeting increased capacity requirements for both private and public front-end cloud networks
• Recent partnership with NVIDIA to accelerate AI adoption and simplify building AI-ready data centers

Transforming Customer Experience

• Vision for customer experience: personalized, proactive, and predictive
• Goal: Make every customer "feel like they are our only customer"
• Leveraging data across tech stacks to break down silos and deliver proactive experiences
• Using AI to reduce cognitive load and workplace friction for employees

AI Renewals Agent: A Case Study in Predictive AI

• Jointly developed with Mistral AI and announced in February 2025
• Consolidates data from 50+ signals and sources (both structured and unstructured)
• Provides real-time sentiment analysis by incorporating customer support data
• Expected to reduce time spent on renewal proposals from 40% to less than 5%

The Future of Agentic AI

• Moving from AI as a tool to AI as a teammate
• Current focus on assisting and augmenting tasks, not replacing roles
• Human oversight remains critical for complex customer networks
• Evolution from reactive to proactive customer care

Impact on Jobs and Work

• Expectation that everyone needs baseline AI skills
• Historical pattern of rebalancing versus complete replacement
• Focus on using AI to eliminate busy work and reduce cognitive load
• Importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in areas where AI still falls short

Closing Thoughts

Liz's definition of success: "Customers walk up and say, 'You really know me better than I know myself'... and they feel they can't live without three things: Cisco's security, Cisco's networking portfolio, and Cisco services."

Summary
In this conversation, Maribel Lopez and Jeetu Patel discuss the transformative potential of AI in business, the challenges organizations face in adopting AI, and the importance of security in AI applications. They explore the need for visibility, validation, and guardrails in securing AI, the rise of specialized AI models, and the future of AI agents in automating workflows. Patel emphasizes Cisco's commitment to innovation and the urgency for companies to embrace AI to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Takeaways

• AI is transforming business strategies across industries.
• CEOs are optimistic about AI but feel unprepared.
• Security practitioners face significant staffing shortages.
• AI can both complicate and simplify security challenges.
• Organizations must secure AI models and use AI for defense.
• Visibility, validation, and guardrails are essential for AI security.
• Specialized AI models can be more effective and cost-efficient.
• AI agents will enhance productivity and workflow automation.
• Cisco is innovating rapidly and operating like a startup.
• Companies must embrace AI to thrive in the future.

Chapters

00:00
The Exciting Intersection of AI and Business

02:47
Challenges in AI Adoption and Security

06:34
Securing AI: Visibility, Validation, and Guardrails

12:47
The Rise of Specialized AI Models

18:00
The Future of AI Agents and Automation

25:31
Cisco's Transformation and Innovation

31:10
Embracing AI: A Call to Action

Follow us at:

Jeetu Patel https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeetupatel/

Maribel Lopez https://www.linkedin.com/in/maribellopez/