Tools & Platforms
A Conference Where Platforms Couldn’t Escape the AI Hype
I Was recently invited to participate in an analyst panel at PlatformCon 25 in New York City. The conference was not huge, but still delivered impact and featured a mix of vendor booths ranging from industry giants like Google to ambitious startups. The audience was a blend of platform professionals from industries as diverse as healthcare, professional sports, and video gaming. The featured guest speaker was engineer Kelsey Hightower.
Here are my key takeaways from the event:
Don’t Be Afraid To Look Under The Hood of AI
Hightower kicked off the day with a compelling talk which challenged attendees to critically evaluate AI and its capabilities. He emphasized the importance of viewing AI as another piece of technology —there’s nothing mystical about it. Hightower encouraged the audience to dig into the details and not simply buy into the hype.
Hightower also touched on how the rise of technologies such as Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol has shifted corporate attitudes. For decades, companies maintained strict control over their internal resources, but now many are rushing to API-enable their entire ecosystems with little caution. He posed a thought-provoking question: “Imagine if they had done this 10 years ago—what could have been accomplished?”
If you’re curious to learn more about AI, MCP and its implications, refer to this blog.
The Tension Between Developers, Operations, And Platform Teams Is Real
One of the liveliest discussions at the conference centered around the persistent struggles between developers, operations teams, and platform engineers. During the Developer Productivity roundtable, which I had the honor of joining alongside other fellow industry analysts, this tension was laid bare.
Far from a dry technical discussion, the session felt more like group therapy for platform leaders. Many attendees shared candid stories about the tug-of-war between developers seeking speed and agility, and platform engineers urging patience and structure. It’s clear that the question of whether platform engineering can fully resolve this dynamic is still open.
Several actionable strategies emerged during the conversation:
- Adopt a “platform as a product” approach. Treat your platform as a product designed to serve your internal stakeholders. Read this report for more insights.
- Set clear expectations. When building a platform, align all stakeholders from the outset. Refer to my report for practical guidance.
- Define common goals based on value streams. Establish shared objectives to bridge the gap between teams. Check out this webinar for actionable advice.
The tension may never fully disappear, but fostering collaboration and setting shared goals can help mitigate the friction.
Final Thoughts
PlatformCon 25 offered a unique window into the evolving world of platform engineering set against the backdrop of AI’s growing influence.
Whether you’re a developer, an operations leader, or a platform engineer, one thing is clear: the platform landscape is shifting rapidly, and AI is playing a central role.
Clients of Forrester that have questions on developer platforms or portals are welcome to request an inquiry or guidance session with me.
Tools & Platforms
Scotta taps Nextail AI powered technology to support retailer’s growth across stores and online — Retail Technology Innovation Hub
“We’re committed to growing without compromising our values or customer experience. Partnering with Nextail allows us to proactively address operational bottlenecks and bring more precision and agility to our stock decisions. As we grow, it will be even more important to continue delivering on our brand promise of offering high-quality products at a fair price with an authentic story,” says Carlos Serra, Scotta CEO.
By leveraging Nextail, Scotta aims to boost sell-through and margins, reduce markdowns and stockouts, and improve strategic collaboration across teams through data driven insights and automation.
“Growing brands like Scotta prove that forward thinkers don’t need to wait to operate like larger industry leaders,” says Carlos Miragall, CEO and Co-Founder at Nextail. “By choosing to tackle key inventory challenges early on, they’re setting the foundation for sustainable and efficient growth, and we’re proud to be part of that story.”
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries.
As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers’ businesses.
With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.
Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work – resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.
Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.
Tools & Platforms
Virginia 911 call center implements AI technology to allow dispatchers to focus on emergency calls – KTVB
July 11, 2025
SEOUL – A wave of artificial intelligence certifications has flooded the market in South Korea over the past two years.
But according to government data, most of these tests exist only on paper, and have never been used by a single person.
As of Wednesday, there were 505 privately issued AI-related certifications registered with the Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training, a state-funded body under the Prime Minister’s Office.
This is nearly five times the number recorded in 2022, before tools like ChatGPT captured global attention. But more than 90 percent of those certifications had zero test-takers as of late last year, the institute’s own data shows.
Many of the credentials are loosely tied to artificial intelligence in name only. Among recent additions are titles like “AI Brain Fitness Coach,” “AI Art Storybook Author,” and “AI Trainer,” which often have no connection to real AI technology.
KT’s AICE is South Korea’s only nationally accredited AI certification, offering five levels of exams that assess real-world AI understanding and skills, from block coding for elementary students to Python-based modeling for professionals. PHOTO: KT/THE KOREA HERALD
Only one of the 505 AI-related certifications — KT’s AICE exam — has received official recognition from the South Korean government. The rest have been registered by individuals, companies, or private organizations, with no independent oversight or quality control.
In 2024, just 36 of these certifications held any kind of exam. Only two had more than 1,000 people apply. Fourteen had a perfect 100 percent pass rate. And 20 were removed from the registry that same year.
For test organizers, the appeal is often financial. One popular certification that attracted around 500 candidates last year charged up to 150,000 won ($110) per person, including test fees and course materials. The content reportedly consisted of basic instructions on how to use existing tools like ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion. Some issuers even promote these credentials as qualifications to teach AI to students or the general public.
The people signing up tend to be those anxious about keeping up in an AI-driven world. A survey released this week by education firm Eduwill found that among 391 South Koreans in their 20s to 50s, 39.1 percent said they planned to earn an AI certificate to prepare for the digital future. Others (27.6 percent) said they were taking online AI courses or learning how to use automation tools like Notion AI.
Industry insiders warn that most of these certificates hold little value in the job market. A local AI industry official told The Korea Herald that these credentials are often “window dressing” for resumes.
“Most private AI certifications aren’t taken seriously by hiring managers,” he said. “Even for non-technical jobs like communications or marketing, what matters more is whether someone actually understands the AI space. That can’t be faked with a certificate.”
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