Madrid, May 28th, 2025- This Tuesday, May 27th, the Big Data & AI World Spain prelunch, organized by CloserStill Media, was held at Club Financiero Génova.

The meeting brought together leaders from the Big Data sector and leading data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions and became a key space to reflect on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on decision making within organizations.

Throughout the day, participants exchanged perspectives on the role of AI in the business environment and stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between automation and human judgment. This event was positioned as a preamble to the main national event in this field, which will be held on October 29 and 30 as part of Tech Show Madrid.

During the debate, José Ruiz Cristina, Director of Business Development at Paradigma Digital, highlighted the attitude required for companies to successfully adapt to AI: "Courage is necessary to make decisions that are going to be difficult in many cases". He added: "In the consulting world it is very easy and comfortable to do everything the way it has always been done. Also, we have to eradicate the mentality we had until now in order to adapt to new trends.

When asked "Are we ready to delegate strategic decisions to AI, or should there always be human control?", Paulo Dias, International Business Development Manager at Intelequia, said: "It's not that we are ready, it's that we want to delegate to it". Even so, he clarified: "Although AI has a lot of knowledge and is a very good executor, when it comes to applying criteria, we still need someone who has it". And he stressed: "AI is designed to provide a solution, but a problem can have 10 solutions and in different scenarios the one that applies best may not be the first one.

Regarding how business leaders should be trained to manage AI-based teams and strategies, Dias pointed out that "AI is an enabling tool that can open our minds to options that would not have been considered at first". In that vein, he urged to "analyze, evaluate and decide, applying human judgment," and concluded: "We don't see AI as competition, but as a very useful complement.

Rafael Calvo, Head of Sales Southern Europe at Bravent, differentiated between "two types of AI: consumer and enterprise". He explained that "in the consumer area, we let AI make decisions as a co-pilot. On the other hand, in the enterprise area we understand AI as the advisor that collects all the data and information to be able to make the necessary decisions made by the business management." In agreement with Dias' vision, Calvo stressed the importance of "having a person behind the AI" and of understanding AI as the "necessary tool to streamline processes". Finally, on leadership in this new era, he pointed out that it is key that "leaders understand what AI is, the benefits it can bring and how it can help in decision making to promote a positive return to the business".

The reflections shared during the lunch provided an accurate x-ray of the current state of the industry, and set the tone for the major themes that will be at the forefront of Big Data & AI World Spain 2025.

About CloserStill Media

CloserStill Media is an international company based in London, specializing in the organization of professional trade shows in technology and healthcare. With more than 650 employees in offices in Europe, Asia and the Americas, it has been recognized with more than 30 industry awards, including seven awards for Trade Show of the Year. In addition, it has been listed in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For and in the Financial Times FT1000 index as one of the fastest growing events companies in Europe.