ROI Meets Innovation: Business Insights from Lenovo Tech World 2024

What happens when the brightest minds in technology come together at an event designed to shape the future of AI? At Lenovo Tech World 2024, I had the privilege of sitting down with Linda Yau from Lenovo and our conversation brought to life the incredible innovations emerging from this event—an intersection of human ingenuity and cutting-edge technology.

We've all seen the growing hype around AI, often greeted with skepticism due to its overblown promises. But this year's Lenovo Tech World took a different approach, kicking off the event with a powerful demonstration of AI's capacity for good: showcasing how ALS patients could communicate through an AI-enabled avatar. This example wasn't just a flashy opener—it was a call to think bigger and bolder about how AI can improve lives, which Linda emphasized during our conversation.

AI for Good: A Powerful Start

The project Linda referred to, in collaboration with the Scott Morgan Foundation, underscores Lenovo's mission to build smarter AI for all. Using AI to help ALS patients preserve their voices and communicate with loved ones is just one instance of how AI can transcend traditional business applications to serve a deeper purpose.

As Linda noted, "When we say 'AI for all,' we truly mean every geography, every demographic, and every level of accessibility." That sentiment was palpable throughout the event and serves as a reminder that technology, at its best, empowers rather than isolates.

Breaking Down Barriers to AI ROI

For business leaders, AI adoption isn't just about innovation—it's about demonstrating return on investment (ROI). However, many companies struggle to show tangible results from AI integration. According to Linda, over 60% of C-suite executives face difficulty proving ROI from their AI initiatives despite the excitement around their potential.

To address this, Lenovo has introduced the "AI Fast Start " program, designed to deliver a working AI solution within 90 days. As Linda explained, this helps businesses quickly see outcomes and builds confidence in AI's ability to transform operations.

From there, Lenovo's curated AI library, packed with battle-tested use cases, gives enterprises the tools to start with proven solutions and tailor them to their needs.

Our conversation also touched on real-world examples of AI delivering value. Linda highlighted a GenAI-powered contact center that has reduced agent call handling time by 10-15%, demonstrating that AI's potential isn't just theoretical—it's already transforming industries like customer care, marketing, and legal services.

AI's Impact on the Enterprise: Immediate Use Cases

Next, I was able to catch up with Vlad Rozanovich shortly after his keynote. Vlad leads Lenovo's Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and is at the forefront of developing the data center technologies and solutions that are rapidly transforming enterprises.

One of the recurring questions Vlad faces from enterprise leaders is, "What can AI bring to my business?" This question often comes with urgency as CEOs push for immediate returns on their AI investments. As Vlad shared, CIOs and CTOs frequently express frustration over this pressure, as AI implementations take time and careful planning.

Despite the challenges, Vlad noted that certain AI use cases already provide measurable results. For example, AI-powered customer service chatbots and code generation for IT departments yield impressive efficiency gains—sometimes boosting productivity by as much as 60 to 80%. These early-stage applications prove that AI can deliver real value quickly, paving the way for more complex uses of AI in sectors like banking, energy, and media.

Solving Data Challenges with AI

While AI offers transformative potential, it's only as effective as the data it's built on. Data sovereignty, quality, and security remain critical concerns for businesses, especially as regulations around data privacy continue to evolve globally.

Lenovo's solution? Ensuring that AI models can operate where the data is most relevant. While large language models may be trained in the public cloud, the retraining and inference of these models often occur closer to where the data resides—at the edge. By optimizing AI for the edge, Lenovo helps businesses reduce latency while maintaining control over their data, a critical factor for industries like healthcare, finance, and energy.

Addressing ESG Concerns

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation was the intersection of AI and sustainability. With many companies under pressure to meet ESG goals, Lenovo's sixth-generation Neptune water cooling technology stood out as a significant development. This innovative cooling solution addresses the energy demands of high-performance computing (HPC) while reducing environmental impact.

Vlad explained that data center cooling can account for up to 30% of a company's energy usage. Lenovo's Neptune solution helps reduce this burden by enabling 100 kilowatt-plus server racks without requiring specialized air conditioning. This advancement is significant as more companies pursue AI workloads notorious for consuming vast amounts of energy.

This technology reduces costs and allows businesses to allocate more resources to compute power rather than cooling, balancing the growing need for AI capabilities with sustainability goals.

What is AI Bias, and Why Should We Care?

I also had the privilege of sitting with the inspirational Ada Lopez, who leads Lenovo's Product Diversity Office. Ada's role is integral to ensuring Lenovo's products are built with diversity and inclusivity in mind—a mission that becomes increasingly important as AI continues to embed itself in every aspect of our daily lives.

Ada began our conversation by highlighting what AI bias looks like in practice. She gave the example of something as simple as a Google search—if you search for the word "captain," you might find results overwhelmingly skewed toward male figures. If you ask an AI to generate an image of a happy family, the representation may not reflect the diversity of existing family structures.

This is AI bias in action: the tendency for algorithms to reflect societal prejudices, whether it's through gender, race, age, or other dimensions of diversity. Ada explained that AI bias can seep into everyday interactions without people realizing it. "Our kids are growing up in this AI-driven world," she pointed out. "They don't always know how to vet the information they're receiving, shaped by the AI systems they interact with."

Lenovo's Approach to Tackling AI Bias

With AI shaping so much of our digital experience, how does Lenovo ensure that bias is minimized in the AI systems it develops? Ada shared that the process begins with understanding the questions AI might be asked and the data sources that inform its responses. "When we develop AI, we ask hard questions," she said. "What kind of output is this AI generating? Are we making sure it reflects diverse perspectives?"

A big part of Lenovo's strategy involves designing AI that can account for biases in everyday scenarios. Ada offered examples where Lenovo's AI is tested to ensure that when asked to show a schoolteacher or doctor, the results aren't limited to outdated gender stereotypes. Through rigorous testing and a commitment to inclusive design, Lenovo is working to deliver AI solutions that are both equitable and reflective of our diverse world.

Building Empathy and Inclusivity by Design

Ada's role isn't limited to AI—it extends across all Lenovo products, ensuring inclusivity is baked into the development process. She explained that Lenovo takes a user-centric approach, seeking input from a wide range of perspectives to improve the accessibility of its hardware and software. "In product development, you need to work with people who have lived experience," she noted. "If you're designing for people with disabilities, you need their input at every stage."

A great example is Lenovo's partnership with a School for the Blind, where students provided feedback on the ThinkPad. These students suggested tactile markings on keys like volume control—essential for users who rely on screen readers but need immediate access to control sound in public spaces. Lenovo implemented these changes, and now ThinkPads feature these tactile markers, improving accessibility without detracting from the experience for sighted users.

Addressing the Myths Around AI Bias

When asked about common misconceptions around AI bias, Ada touched on the fear surrounding AI adoption. While being cautious is natural, she emphasized growing excitement around AI, especially among development teams. "Our teams want to create AI that they're proud of," she explained. This enthusiasm, coupled with careful testing and collaboration, helps ensure that AI isn't just a tool but a responsible, inclusive technology that truly benefits everyone.

Jane Wang on AI, Innovation, and the Future of Hybrid AI

I then had the pleasure of speaking with Jane Wang, Corporate Vice President for Lenovo, who has been at the heart of Lenovo's R&D and innovation efforts for over a decade. Jane has played a vital role in organizing the event since 2015, and her insights into how technology has evolved—particularly in AI—shed light on the significance of this year's announcements.

One of the most exciting announcements this year was the introduction of AI PCs, an innovation Jane is particularly passionate about. As the world's largest PC maker, Lenovo sees AI as a critical tool for transforming everyday computing. But Jane quickly points out that she prefers to think of it not as artificial intelligence but as "augmented intelligence," designed to enhance human potential.

The AI PC is more than just a productivity tool. It's a companion that can help users navigate professional and personal challenges, from simplifying tasks to automatically solving technical issues without needing external help. Jane emphasized that these AI-powered devices are set to be "working pals" that help users do their jobs better and more efficiently.

At the heart of this revolution is Lenovo's hybrid AI approach, which integrates AI across devices—allowing for both cloud and on-device AI solutions. This ensures that users' privacy is protected, with AI handling sensitive data locally on the device whenever possible.

AI and the Human Experience: A Symbiotic Relationship

Lenovo's vision for AI is grounded in its human-centric approach, which is about enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them. As Jane explained, AI should be an extension of our cognitive and sensory abilities, helping us manage information overload and assisting in decision-making processes.

A New Era of Collaboration and Hybrid AI

One of the critical themes of Lenovo Tech World 2024 was collaboration, with tech giants like NVIDIA, Intel, and Microsoft working alongside Lenovo to push the boundaries of AI. Jane emphasized that Lenovo's hybrid AI strategy—combining on-device, edge, and cloud AI—ensures that AI remains accessible, scalable, and secure. This approach makes AI more affordable and ensures that it is tailored to individual users and enterprises alike.

As the event drew close, Jane reflected on what Lenovo Tech World 2024 represents: a commitment to making AI more accessible and impactful for everyone. Whether through AI PCs that enhance our productivity or 3D experiences that bring us closer to immersive computing, Lenovo is focused on delivering innovations that matter.

For Jane, the future of AI is about more than technology—it's about enabling people to do what they do best, with AI serving as a trusted partner in that journey.

Reflections Lenovo Tech World 2024

Reflecting on my conversations at Lenovo Tech World 2024, I was struck by the depth of thought each one brings to the transformative role of AI in our lives and businesses. From Vlad's emphasis on the importance of infrastructure and sustainable innovation to Jane's vision of AI augmenting human potential, it's clear that AI is not just about automation but about collaboration between humans and technology.

Linda's perspective on AI as a tool for social good and Ada's mission to reduce AI bias further highlighted how inclusive, ethical design can shape a brighter and more accessible future. Across the board, the message was consistent: AI's most significant potential lies in its ability to elevate human experiences, making technology work with us, not for us.

As I continue to explore these conversations, how will you, your business, and your community leverage AI in ways that align with these evolving priorities? I'd love to hear your thoughts!