Session 2: Safety & Agentic AI

The deployment of AI Agents requires demand new approaches to control and accountability. As AI agents move from experimentation to real-world deployment, organizations are facing new questions around safety, oversight, accountability, and human-in-the-loop design. While agentic AI promises major gains in productivity, efficiency, and cost reduction, it also introduces complex workplace and operational challenges that demand new approaches to governance and control. In this panel discussion, experts explored the tension between the exciting potential of AI agents and the realities of deploying systems that are not yet fully reliable in professional or personal environments. The conversation examined how organizations are managing risk, building guardrails, and developing safety testing frameworks to ensure responsible AI behavior. Panelists also highlighted a critical reality: even agents designed with beneficial intent can create unintended harm, and the ways humans ultimately choose to use these systems remain unpredictable. As AI agents become more capable and autonomous, the need for accountability, rigorous oversight, and thoughtful deployment strategies has never been more important. Watch the full discussion for insights into the future of agentic AI, workplace transformation, safety, and responsible innovation. To learn more about DAX and how to get involved, we invite you to visit: https://industry.datascience.columbia.... Unlock the potential of collaboration with the Data Science Institute through the DSI Industry Catalyst Network: https://industry.datascience.columbia.... ----------------------------------- Featured panelists: Brittny Cantor Agentic Commerce Lead, Accenture's Center for Advanced AI Eugene Wu Associate Professor of Computer Science and Co-director of the Data, Agents, and Processes Lab (DAPLab), Columbia University Ranjan Roy VP Industry Lead - Retail, Writer Zhou Yu Associate Professor, Computer Science Department, and Co-director of the Data, Agents, and Processes Lab (DAPLab), Columbia University Moderated by: Kara Miller Host, "It Turns Out" Podcast #responsibleai #datascience #innovation