Beatriz Sanz Sáiz Of EY Consulting On the Future of Artificial Intelligence

As a part of our series about the future of Artificial Intelligence, I had the pleasure of interviewing Beatriz Sanz Sáiz at EY Consulting on The Future Of Artificial Intelligence.

A forward-thinking executive with proven experience in strategy and deep knowledge in artificial intelligence, Beatriz has been a partner in the firm for more than 15 years. She served in various leadership roles within the EMEIA and Asia-Pacific regions. She leads more than 22,000 professionals.

In May 2023, she was appointed to lead the global Data & AI program for EY. In this role, she is leading transformation efforts across the EY business areas (Consulting. Strategy and Transactions, Tax and Assurance) as well as Geographies. During her career, she has held senior leadership positions with leading companies in financial services, such as Santander and BBVA, where she was responsible for establishing Data, AI and innovation as core competencies.

Beatriz’ business acumen is backed by her quantitative and innovation skills which enables her to define and support the growth agenda of large multinationals and be a thought leader in analytics, customer centricity and innovation.

Beatriz also leads the Analysts Relations program at EY for Data and AI which has resulted in recognition from analyst firms such as Gartner, IDC, Forrester and HfS as a global leader in Data and AI. Beatriz holds a master’s degree in mathematics. She is regular speaker at international industry conferences and has been featured in Forbes and the Financial Times among others.

How is Beatriz building a better working world?

Beatriz works with clients to help them navigate the challenges, opportunities and ethics behind AI and other emerging technologies. Additionally, Beatriz is a champion for EY’s commitment to accelerating gender parity through its #WomenFastForward platform.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share with us the ‘backstory” of how you decided to pursue this career path in AI?

I’m a mathematician, and I started working in this field quite early in my career. My career began in Financial Services, working for a bank. Our work was relatively disruptive at the time; for the first time ever, we were using Machine learning algorithms to better understand customer behaviour in the customer growth space, which was transformative for the bank’s operating model. I was very passionate about gaining a better understanding of customer patterns and how machine learning could support this, and that passion and curiosity inspired the transition into consulting, where I could further extend my knowledge. Since then, my career has revolved around data, AI, innovation, and growth.

What lessons can others learn from your story?

The best advice I can give is to be passionate. Be passionate about what you do because passion is what gets others to latch on and follow. Also, I think it is incredibly important to be forward-thinking and innovative and imagine possibilities beyond what currently exists. Connecting the dots to predict future developments and being an early mover is an inevitable advantage. For example, at EY, we built our AI center about 10 years ago, so it was ahead of its time.

Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

I work on all kinds of engagements with clients about shaping strategy, AI control towers, disruption around function, and responsible AI and governance. One of my favourite and most rewarding projects was the launch of the EY Open Science Data Challenge, which involved satellite imagery, machine learning, and using AI to look at the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and try to find solutions. Naturally, much of my work is focused on enterprise, so I always enjoy projects that allow space for positive, real-world impact.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Throughout my career, I have always tried to be surrounded by people better than me. I don’t think there has been just one individual who has helped me get where I am, but more so a community and a conscious effort to be around brilliant people. I have had mentors, teams and connections that are almost like my second family, who have been a lighthouse for me. Now, as a leader, I have tried to apply this approach to my teams — ensuring they are always motivated and engaged in their work so they can be the best version of themselves. In turn, this motivates and pushes me to be the best version of myself and is a big part of why we are so successful as a team.

What are the 5 things that most excite you about the AI industry? Why?

The first is legacy. Working in AI is almost like working as an architect for the future of how people and tech operate, and that is really exciting. The second thing that excites me is the ever-changing and evolving nature of AI. You learn so much, and curiosity is imperative. I’ve been in this profession for 20 years now as a partner, and I am still learning and discovering. I love the potential of AI and the potential impact that it can have, not only on the enterprise level but also in sectors like health and education. I think it can really help drive social equity which is inspiring and encouraging. There’s a lot out there about the potential of AI destroying jobs, but I am excited by the new types of jobs for medium or low-skilled workers AI is creating. The final thing is the truly global nature of AI. It’s pervasive and expansive in a way that enterprise is not. When you think of any enterprise, you think of its geography and domain, but AI cannot be compacted in that same way which also means its impact can’t be. This excites me because its impact extends beyond its origin.

What are the 5 things that concern you about the AI industry? Why?

My biggest concern about AI is the way AI learns, the risk of bias and the question of ethics. Luckily, it’s early days, and there is regulation being created, and people are conscious of the risks of bias. Another concern is the risk that the population does not adapt, which would leave them behind in terms of skills, so there needs to be an active effort to educate and ensure everybody is brought up to speed. I think another concern is with change management. These models are probabilistic and not deterministic, so it is really important that recommendations made by AI are supplemented by unique human judgment. My other fear is we create a world where AI dominates in the future, where people do not have the skills needed, and so rely entirely on AI. My final concern is cyber; we will see new forms of cyber, more cognitive AI mimicking human behaviour which gives way to new forms of potential cyber-attacks and cyber risks.

As you know, there is an ongoing debate between prominent scientists, (personified as a debate between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg,) about whether advanced AI poses an existential danger to humanity. What is your position about this?

We have all seen the news and stories on the supposed risks AI poses to the existence of humanity, and while there are, of course, risks with any new technology, such as those I mentioned previously, overall, I believe AI will be and is already a force for good. These risks must be addressed and mitigated, and that’s why we need a comprehensive regulatory framework, including internationally recognized rules and standards, but these are already being developed, and so I am very optimistic about what lies ahead.

What can be done to prevent such concerns from materializing? And what can be done to assure the public that there is nothing to be concerned about?

The main concern I see is the problem of ensuring that the population is adequately trained in AI and has the necessary skills to operate the technology, and I think this requires training for the wider population, both through employers and schools. Also, it is important to ensure algorithmic bias is addressed, which also requires training and learning as AI only knows what we teach it.

As you know, there are not that many women in your industry. Can you advise what is needed to engage more women into the AI industry?

I am optimistic about the future of women in the industry, and I see change happening because women want to leave a legacy and play an active role in moulding the future of our world. The number of women in STEM is growing exponentially, but it is crucial that AI is not seen exclusively as another area of technology when the reality is that it will be part of business and integrated into everyday life through natural language and everyday practices. I believe that thinking of AI as more than simply a form of technology will encourage more women to get involved.

What is your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that had relevance to your own life?

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow and learn as if you were to live forever.” I use it all the time, including with my teams, as it helps them visualize what I expect from them and what they can expect from me. Learning is a mindset of curiosity, and a willingness to learn is a must.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share a story?

As mentioned before, social responsibility is very important to me, and the Open Science Data Program allowed me to make a difference. I always find that my role allows me to do the right thing without having to think about revenue and bottom lines. I like to think I’m a leader with a purpose. Teams like to work with people with integrity and to be led by someone whose actions match their words. Whether it’s by harnessing AI for good, being a voice for women in tech or being a single working mother, it is important to me to have a positive impact, and I do so in many ways.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I’m not sure about something completely new, but a movement I believe has been a huge force for good is the EY Open Science Data Challenge, which aims to make science and research accessible to all. It’s an amazing movement for many reasons, but partly because it all started with the vision and enthusiasm of just a handful of people; now we mobilize more than 15,000 people every year and numbers continue to grow. One of our aims is to try to find solutions to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by making extensive use of data and AI which has helped with wildfires, biodiversity, crops, and disaster recovery.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I write industry leadership pieces on the EY website and blogs on LinkedIn; it is a great way to follow my thoughts and ideas on AI and tech topics.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is the Chairman of the Friends of Israel and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.