As industries evolve, the integration of generative AI is proving to be a game changer for enhancing customer experience and driving innovation. By prioritizing customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of valuable software, businesses can embrace change and strengthen collaboration between development and business teams. This approach not only transforms engineers into AI experts but also positions AI as a key driver of business and technology advancements, helping organizations stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape. Leading this transformation is Publicis Sapient, with CTO and SVP of Engineering Rakesh Ravuri, who shared exclusive insights with AIM on how AI is automating workflows and enhancing Agile practices.
“There are several activities underway across various capabilities, including writing small utilities, utilising commercial tools, developing plugins, and creating our own products,” said Rakesh, discussing the use of generative AI tools within the company.
He explained that the effectiveness of AI depends on the context it understands and the data it has access to. “If you look at the patterns in AI, such as RAG vector databases, you’ll see that what’s really being conveyed is that AI is trained on a specific set of data,” he said.
Apart from internal use cases, the company works with clients across various industries. Using financial services as an example, Rakesh explained how generative AI is being utilised in merchandising processes. “In merchandising, vendors upload extensive content, such as product descriptions, images, reviews, and features. Often, there is a complex process involved in organizing this content effectively and ensuring it adheres to a specific format,” he said, which can be solved using generative AI.
Similarly, in the travel industry, Publicis Sapient has assisted Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy in developing and launching generative AI-powered search tools. It allows travellers to describe their ideal vacation in natural language, and the system then recommends matching destinations and home rentals from Marriott’s inventory of over 140,000 vacation rentals.
Rakesh revealed that a notable application of generative AI lies in legacy modernization. “There is a lot of legacy code across various industries. For example, there is still COBOL code that is 60 years old. It remains untouched because people are hesitant and afraid to work with it,” he said.
He added that they are currently working with a client to convert 10,000 COBOL screens using generative AI with a team of just 15 people. Rakesh also noted that they are dealing with Java legacy code from 2000 and .NET code from 2005 or 2006.
Rakesh stressed the importance of recognising the difference between what a customer seeks and what truly delivers value. “It’s easy to treat AI as a hammer that can solve every problem; but that approach can create new issues.”
Adopting Agile Practices for AI Integration
Rakesh told AIM that some of the systems inside the company are being automated by AI. “AI can automate code reviews in a manner similar to credit card fraud detection, where transactions are flagged for human review. Similarly, we have adapted our processes into an AI-assisted Agile methodology,” he explained.
“AI engineers are not only focused on applying AI to industry challenges; they also integrate it into their daily workflows, enhancing their own processes while developing innovative solutions,” Rakesh Ravuri explained.
When asked about the training practices for these AI engineers, he explained that they have developed their own learning and development programs. Furthermore, the company is building a platform equipped with a range of tools to support the entire software development cycle.
Moreover, the company offers training programs for engineers, like the Top Gun Academy (TGA), which is available to members of Publicis Sapient’s engineering team in India. TGA focuses on developing budding architects into next-generation software specialists. The program features intensive, boot camp-style training, where participants address practical problems and real-world challenges.
Rakesh observed that as AI increasingly becomes a fully integrated team member, soon there will be no task left untouched by it. Even simple activities, such as writing a document with Office Copilot or managing meetings with a Meeting Copilot, will be enhanced by AI’s support.
The post Publicis Sapient Integrates AI Across Industries to Elevate Customer Experience appeared first on AIM.
