The Relyance AI team is back and energized after an amazing experience at our first Gartner Summit for Data & Analytics in Orlando! Gartner's inaugural conference was a hub of innovation, with hundreds of speakers, 200+ exhibitors, and over 5,000 data, analytics, and AI leaders from around the world sharing insights on data management, governance, and analytics. 

In the exhibition showcase, we met hundreds of practitioners at our booth where we conducted live demos of our platform. Additionally, we hosted a live theater session offering a fresh perspective on data governance requirements for an AI-driven world.

While the 2025 Gartner Data & Analytics Summit has come to an end, we’re looking back at some key takeaways from this year’s event to better prepare ourselves, and our customers, for leveraging the power of AI and their data in these pivotal years ahead.

Here are my key takeaways from the 2025 conference.

AI, AI, and More AI

We know this comes as no surprise; AI dominated this year’s topics. From new AI tools hitting the market left and right (50 new AI vendors entered the market every single day of 2025 so far. - Gartner), to AI as the foundational technology powering data collection, and most notably, how to safely and responsibly leverage AI’s superpowers in our own companies.  It was immediately clear that AI is here to stay and will soon enough be embedded into every business process.

The Inflection Point that will change everything

AI is rapidly becoming commoditized as large language models are now widely available, cost-efficient, and easily integrated into everyday applications and processes.

Forward-thinking leaders are recognizing that proprietary data has become their most valuable asset for accelerating customer value through artificial intelligence — particularly high-quality, unique data that can only be achieved through robust data governance practices.

Data & GRC leaders play a pivotal role in enabling AI adoption and have a significant opportunity to gain influence and shape their company’s future from a position of leadership.

However, achieving a seat at the executive table and driving meaningful business impact requires overcoming the perception of being a roadblock to AI adoption. To become catalysts for growth, data and governance teams must adopt a tech-forward and proactive approach — this includes deepening their understanding of emerging AI technologies, staying ahead of evolving regulations, and leveraging AI to augment their own operational processes.

The AI adoption Hurdle:

The majority of executive leaders we spoke with at the conference shared that their companies are making significant investments in AI. However, none of these investments will succeed without high-quality data and strong governance — both of which remain significant challenges for many organizations. As a result, many AI innovation efforts are at risk of failure.

Supporting data findings:

• Only 5% of organizations have comprehensive governance for generative AI
• 60% claim to have dedicated AI governance  
• 30% of costs in AI implementation often go to legal compliance
• According to Gartner, the #1 Barrier to GenAI Adoption for companies = Uneasiness over data security, privacy or compliance.

AI Governance is a Market Differentiator. 

Rapid growth in AI projects is creating and accelerating demand for high-quality, well-governed data that is easily discoverable. Trust is becoming a core capability of all data teams because we believe that ultimately, customers will choose companies that value trust over performance in their AI systems.

Key benefits of AI Governance, according to Gartner’s opening Keynote address:

• Unlock productivity through rapid AI adoption
• Drive competitive advantage through forward compliance
• Improve Trust through measurable commitments
• Increase Brand Value through responsible implementation
• Talent retention and attraction

Data lineage is a critical capability, but is it enough?

To address this question, our CEO, Abhi Sharma, led a live theater presentation supported by industry expert Shahzeb Jiwani from Anthropic, a market-leading AI provider. Here are the key takeaways from our panel presentation, titled “Navigating the AI Regulatory Maze with End-to-End Data Lineage”:

AI rollouts are skyrocketing — and so are the risks. 

Every day, organizations unknowingly could expose themselves to breaches, regulatory penalties, and trust erosion by mishandling personal, sensitive, and restricted data through AI interactions.

Traditional data governance wasn’t built for the AI era.

Traditional data lineage, with its narrow technical focus, cannot support robust AI Governance — it lacks the context needed to ensure fairness, transparency, and compliance.

Evolution of Lineage From Columns-to-Context: 

• For years, we tracked data column-to-column like breadcrumbs in a database. But AI doesn’t eat breadcrumbs — it devours context. 
• Picture an AI model predicting customer churn: it’s not just pulling from a table — it’s weaving through APIs, microservices, and real-time pipelines. Traditional lineage can’t keep up. 
• That’s why at Relyance AI, we’ve built Data Journeys — a holistic, context-aware approach to understanding your data's full story.

Redefining Lineage with  “Data Journeys”

• Imagine a breach exposing customer data. Security wants to lock it down, privacy needs to notify regulators, and data teams scramble to find the source. With Data Journeys, they’re all on the same page— instantly.
• We think of Data Journeys as the bridge—showing not just where data came from, but how it was transformed and reasoned about, making AI compliance a breeze.
• At Relyance AI, we’re pioneering exactly that: the industry’s first AI-aware, purpose-driven data lineage solution. We illuminate every interaction, safeguard trust, and empower innovation with clarity and control.

Closing thoughts: A “drop-the-mic” moment

For me personally, the most memorable mic-drop moment of the session was a one-two punch on the topic of how operations must evolve at a fundamental level: 

• Abhi: “We don’t need to create yet another committee, we need better holistic technology solutions that are purpose-built for the AI era.”
• Shahzeb: “The organizations that focus solely on Trust as a process will fail. We must rethink our approaches to privacy, risk, and governance with a technology-first mindset if we’re going to enable AI innovation… ”

Want to learn more about how Data Journeys can get your cross-functional team on the same page and turn AI risk into AI trust? Reach out to us and see how our platform can help you safely and responsibly accelerate AI adoption for your company.