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About the Guest
Ahmad Fattahi
Executive Director – Generative AI, Genentech
Ahmad Fattahi is an AI and data science leader with deep experience across generative AI, machine learning, enterprise analytics, IoT, product strategy, and business transformation. He currently serves as Executive Director, Generative AI at Genentech, where he is responsible for defining and scaling Genentech’s Generative and Agentic AI Platform Suite in a secure, compliant, and impactful way. Before Genentech, Ahmad held leadership roles at Cloud Software Group, Cisco, and OSIsoft, where he led data science teams, built AI-powered products, enabled developer ecosystems, and translated complex data problems into measurable business outcomes.
Brief About the Episode
In this episode, Ahmad Fattahi joins Jas Kaur to discuss how AI is changing the way regulated industries think about data, risk, workflows, and business transformation. The conversation explores why biotech and healthcare data is uniquely complex, how regulation changes the AI development process, and why leaders must think beyond model accuracy when designing AI systems. Ahmad explains why AI adoption should begin with low-risk use cases, how organizations can build guardrails around sensitive AI applications, and why many AI pilots fail when they are not treated like real products.
Key Learnings for Leaders
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Start With Low-Risk AI Use Cases Before Moving to High-Stakes Applications
Ahmad cautions leaders not to start AI programs with high-risk patient-facing use cases, like answering medication side-effect questions. A safer starting point is internal workflows where humans stay in the loop and regulatory checks remain in place.
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Business Value Matters More Than Technical Elegance
Ahmad shares a powerful lesson: a technically strong AI model can still create zero business value. If the stakeholder already has a simpler way to make the decision, leaders must first validate the business need, workflow fit, user adoption path, and measurable ROI.
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AI Can Reduce Risk When Designed Correctly
Ahmad highlights that AI can also reduce risk when designed responsibly. With the right governance, use-case selection, product discipline, and human oversight, AI can help monitor compliance, improve consistency, detect process gaps, and flag boundary risks before they become bigger issues.
AI in regulated industries is not just about deploying models faster. It is about building systems that are trusted, governed, useful, and connected to real business value.
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