AI Without the Hype: Turning AI Into Business Value | Smita Rao

AI is transforming the way organisations work, but how do leaders decide which AI investments are actually worth making? In this episode of the Rise Podcast, Smita Rao, a technology and business systems leader with more than 20 years of experience across IT, shares a practical perspective on navigating AI transformation inside large enterprises. Drawing on her experience at organisations including Cisco and LexisNexis, Smita explains why experimentation is only the beginning — and why successful AI adoption ultimately comes down to measurable business outcomes. The conversation explores how leaders can prioritise AI opportunities, resist FOMO, evaluate ROI, and know when to say no to exciting technology that doesn't solve a real problem. Smita also discusses the realities of working with legacy systems, deciding when to build versus buy, establishing governance and security guardrails, and helping teams become AI fluent without creating unnecessary fear around job displacement. She argues for a measured approach: start with the foundations, identify the highest-value use cases, measure progress at every stage, and think beyond immediate cost savings. The episode also looks at what Smita would do in her first 90 days as a CIO — and ends with a lighter conversation about cities, food, history and the professional community she would build. 00:00 — AI must deliver real business value 01:29 — Smita's journey through 20+ years of IT 06:34 — Moving AI experiments into production 08:53 — Prioritising AI and learning to say no 12:48 — Business outcomes vs. technology outcomes 16:43 — Cutting through AI FOMO, noise and hype 22:26 — Legacy systems, vendors and long-term investment 31:01 — AI, jobs and the importance of upskilling 35:00 — What would a CIO do in the first 90 days? 37:15 — Rapid-fire questions and Smita's personal side “You have to be able to cut through the noise and say what is something we should invest in and what are the business reasons and rationale for the same.” — Smita Rao, Rise Podcast