Avasant’s Kevin Parikh to Present “Inspiration Applied” at OWS25

Kevin Parikh, the dynamic Chairman and CEO of Avasant, will explore this transformative theme in his opening keynote address at OWS25 in Chicago on April 29-May 1. 

As the sourcing landscape evolves at breakneck speed, Parikh stands at the forefront, poised to share critical insights on how next-generation technologies can redefine approaches to innovation and sourcing strategies.

A member of IAOP’s Leadership Hall of Fame, Parikh said he looks forward to returning to the annual Summit and delivering a keynote once again.

“This event has always been a cornerstone for the sourcing community, and this year it feels more important than ever – with so much happening around AI innovation, geopolitical shifts, and the future of work,” he said. “At OWS, the conversations are real and relevant. We’re not just talking about trends – we’re digging into the challenges and opportunities leaders are facing right now: trust in AI, the evolution of sourcing, ethical innovation, and how human intelligence fits into a tech-driven world.”

“Whether you’re a practitioner, a provider, or a policymaker, OWS25 provides space to connect, exchange ideas, and rethink strategy in a time of constant change,” Parikh said.

“But more than anything, it’s a place for shared inspiration – where you leave feeling energized, challenged, and ready to take action. That’s what makes OWS so special –and why I’m excited to be part of it.”

Let’s dive into the concept of Inspiration Applied, learn more about the challenges and opportunities in today’s climate, and find out what tech terms are in and out in this preview of Parikh’s not-to-miss presentation – because you don’t want to have FOBO. Read on to learn more.  

Q. How do you define “Inspiration Applied”?

A. Inspiration Applied is a call to action for how businesses, industries, and economies must transform ideas into impactful outcomes. In today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, inspiration alone is not enough – it must be applied strategically to create real-world impact. At Avasant, we define Inspiration Applied as the fusion of vision, technology, and execution – harnessing the power of AI, automation, and digital platforms to drive tangible transformation. It’s about moving beyond theoretical innovation and focusing on practical applications that deliver sustainable business value.

Q. What are some of the next-generation technologies that will drive Inspiration Applied?

A. At the core of Inspiration Applied is Artificial Intelligence – not just as a tool, but as a transformational force. The next era of AI is holistic, deeply integrated across the enterprise, and built to deliver real outcomes. Three major forces within the AI spectrum are leading this charge:

Generative AI - Generative AI is changing the game across industries – from automating content creation to revolutionizing product design, marketing, software development, and even customer service. But more importantly, it’s becoming a creative collaborator, augmenting human imagination and accelerating time-to-value. When paired with organizational data and domain context, it becomes a true engine of enterprise productivity and innovation.

Agentic AI - Beyond generation lies agency. Agentic AI represents systems that can autonomously perform tasks, make decisions, and achieve goals, like intelligent digital workers that learn, adapt, and collaborate with human teams. This is the next evolution of automation, enabling organizations to move from task-level efficiency to mission-level autonomy. It’s how enterprises will scale expertise and responsiveness without scaling headcount.

Physical AI - As AI moves from screens to the real world, Physical AI, including robotics, autonomous vehicles, drones, and intelligent edge devices, is redefining operations in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and more. These systems blend computer vision, real-time analytics, and machine learning to interact with and respond to physical environments, enabling smarter, safer, and more sustainable operations at scale.

Q. What buzzwords related to innovation are out and in?

A. As innovation becomes more integrated into the core of business strategy, the language around it is also evolving. We’re moving away from broad, vague terms and gravitating toward language that reflects action, outcomes, and responsibility.

Out:

“Digital Transformation” – Overused and underspecified. Many organizations now realize that transformation is not a destination – it’s a constant state.

“Disruption” – While still relevant, it’s become a catch-all term. The focus has shifted from disruption for its own sake to deliberate, value-driven innovation.

“AI-powered” – It’s no longer enough to just slap AI on a label. Leaders want to know how AI is applied, measured, and governed.

 In:

“Applied AI” – The focus now is on how AI delivers real outcomes, from boosting productivity to accelerating time-to-market.

“Agentic AI” – This emerging term reflects the shift toward AI that can take initiative, make decisions, and collaborate with humans in a more autonomous, goal-oriented way.

“Responsible Innovation” – With increasing regulatory scrutiny and societal expectations, organizations are emphasizing ethical, inclusive, and sustainable innovation.

“FOBO (Fear of Becoming Obsolete)” –  A term highlighting employees’ concerns about job security in the face of rapid technological advancements, particularly AI, emphasizing the need for continuous reskilling and adaptation.

Q. What is your vision for the future of sourcing/outsourcing?

A. The sourcing industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Historically, outsourcing was about cost reduction and labor arbitrage. Today, it’s about tech-enabled services that are intelligent, adaptive, and outcome-driven. At the same time, the geopolitical landscape is reshaping where and how sourcing happens. Enterprises are increasingly aligning their sourcing strategies with geo-strategic alliances, favoring countries with shared political/military and economic interests. This is fueling the rise of nearshoring, friendshoring, and regional diversification.

The future of sourcing will be:

• AI-enabled: Service providers will embed AI into their delivery, shifting from labor-intensive models to automation-driven efficiencies.
• Outcome-Driven: Clients will demand not just service delivery but measurable business outcomes – productivity gains, revenue impact, and innovation-led growth.
• Embedded Intelligence: Every touchpoint, from governance to operations, will be infused with predictive insights, accelerated decision-making, and real-time optimization. This is where technologies like agentic AI and hyper automation will be game changers.
• Geopolitically aware: Sourcing decisions will be influenced by data sovereignty, regulatory frameworks, and digital trust between nations.
• Co-creative and value-driven: Providers will become innovation partners, co-developing solutions that drive business transformation – not just delivering services.

Q. What impact will the new geopolitical landscape and AI policies under the current U.S. Presidential administration have on global technology growth?

A. We’re at a critical juncture where AI policy and geopolitics are reshaping the global technology landscape. Under the current U.S. Presidential administration, AI policy has been approached with a strong emphasis on innovation leadership, national security, and competitive advantage, but with limited participation in global regulatory frameworks, such as the recent AI Accord signed in Paris, which the U.S. notably did not endorse.

Instead, the U.S. has emphasized economic competitiveness and technological leadership, investing heavily in domestic research and development and manufacturing capabilities, particularly through initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act and AI-focused federal funding.

This creates a few important dynamics:

Fragmentation of Global Standards: With the U.S. taking a market-led, innovation-first approach, and regions like the EU pushing for stricter regulation and ethical alignment, we’re seeing an emerging patchwork of AI policies. This could create compliance complexity for global enterprises but also allow more innovation flexibility in U.S.-aligned markets.

Geo-Strategic Sourcing Realignment: As tensions with China continue, the U.S. is reinforcing strategic partnerships with politically aligned nations, promoting nearshoring and “friendshoring” strategies to reduce dependence on adversarial supply chains. This is boosting tech investments in regions like India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

Digital Trust as a Competitive Lever: Without a unified global AI governance model, digital trust will become a differentiator. Companies will align with jurisdictions and partners whose values around AI ethics, data privacy, and transparency reflect their brand and risk appetite.

So while the U.S. may not be leading in AI diplomacy, it is doubling down on AI competitiveness, and this divergence is setting the stage for a world where technology growth will be increasingly influenced by geopolitical alliances, regional governance, and economic self-interest.

Q. Let’s talk a bit about humans and their emotional intelligence, empathy, etc. What role will people play in the new emerging world?

A. In a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation, the most valuable differentiator isn’t technology – it’s humanity. As machines become more capable of handling tasks, it’s our emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity, and ethical judgment that will define the human role in the emerging world. These aren’t soft skills – they are core leadership capabilities in a future powered by AI.

Human + AI Collaboration: The future isn’t AI replacing humans – it’s AI augmenting human potential. People will shift from executing routine tasks to orchestrating intelligent systems, interpreting nuanced data, and making context-aware decisions.

Empathy at Scale: While AI can mimic tone, only humans can genuinely understand and respond to complex emotional dynamics – whether it’s leading teams through change, navigating cultural differences, or building trusted relationships with clients.

Creative and Strategic Thinking: AI is excellent at generating outputs, but the spark of original thought, intuition, and innovation still rests with humans. These traits will be critical in designing the future, whether it’s reimagining a business model or solving global challenges.

Leadership and Ethical Stewardship: As we delegate more to machines, humans must step up as ethical guardians and empathetic leaders, ensuring technology is used responsibly and inclusively.

In short, people are not being replaced – they’re being elevated. The organizations that thrive will be those that invest not only in technology but in human development, empowering their teams to lead with both intelligence and heart. As AI and digital agents take on more transactional and cognitive tasks, humanity is being redefined by the very qualities machines cannot replicate: empathy, imagination, ethical reasoning, and purposeful leadership. For more, see the Avasant article, Redefining Humanity: The Next Evolutionary Leap.