THE AI INTERVIEW
“ It’ s about asking what you want to achieve, what you want to provide in terms of value to customers and employees and then finding the right touch”
Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Officer, Schneider Electric
AI: Looking beyond the hype Philippe offers a clear-eyed perspective on AI adoption that prioritises business outcomes over technological fascination.“ I never recommend thinking about technology first, rather think about business first: not doing AI just because AI is fun. Not using an LLM [ just ] because a new LLM has been released.”
This distinction between different types of AI is central to a modern CAIO’ s strategy. For industrial applications, the workhorse is often traditional Machine Learning( ML), which excels at predictive tasks using structured data from sensors and operational logs. In contrast, generative AI and LLMs are being strategically deployed to solve different problems, primarily around unstructured data and human-machine interaction – for example, creating natural language interfaces for complex machinery or summarising technical fault reports. The core of the strategy is not to favour one over the other, but to build a diverse portfolio of AI tools and apply the right one to the right business problem.“ It’ s about asking what you want to achieve, what you want to provide in terms of value to customers and employees and then finding the right touch,” Philippe says.
A firm believer that AI initiatives must be aligned tightly with specific value creation, rather than chasing trends or novelty, Philippe carries this mindset with him as a leader at Schneider Electric. As a global leader in energy management and automation, the company views AI not as an abstract concept but as a powerful enabler for sustainability.
28 October 2025