October 1st, 2025

3 min read

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the way businesses operate. To stay competitive, organizations must adapt and innovate – but doing so can be challenging, particularly when working with legacy systems and established processes.

Howard Nicholson, Head of NTT DATA’s NextGen Partnerships & Incubation (NPI) team, joins with partners Charles Wright, CEO and Founder of Mechanized AI, and Dr. Ralf Schonherr, CEO and Co-Founder of Myriad AI, to discuss how AI is transforming industries. They explore the key challenges companies face, the opportunities ahead, and the importance of collaboration in successfully navigating this shift.

Bridges and Barriers

NPI was formed with two goals in mind: to expand NTT DATA’s service and product portfolio and to build lasting relationships with NextGen partners.

“These partnerships have led to the development of groundbreaking solutions that target some of the most pressing challenges in the business world today,” says Nicholson.

NextGen partners Mechanized AI and Myriad AI are both excellent examples:

  • Mechanized AI specializes in providing AI solutions for complex industrial automation, particularly in industries that have traditionally been slower to innovate, such as manufacturing and logistics. “A staggering 70 percent of Fortune 500 code is outdated, often dating back over 30 years,” says Wright. The challenges are not just technical; they also involve financial and operational costs associated with maintaining old systems. Mechanized AI uses cutting-edge AI to transform these legacy systems, ensuring they can meet the demands of modern technology. This approach helps organizations optimize their operations, reduce waste, improve safety, and enhance productivity through the integration of AI-driven systems.

  • Myriad AI is a platform designed to help businesses in heavily regulated industries such as financial services detect compliance risks and adapt to regulatory changes early using AI. This enables them to take action before any compliance issues arise, ensuring they remain in compliance with regulations. Regulatory documents can span hundreds or thousands of pages, and interpreting these accurately in a timely manner is a huge challenge, Schonherr says. Myriad AI automates and streamlines this process, leveraging AI and machine learning to create adaptive systems that learn from new data.

Schoenherr and Wright note the immense value of working with NTT DATA to solve critical issues. Schoenherr says Myriad AI was introduced to NTT DATA through its open innovation program. Myriad AI and NTT DATA then collaborated on a project with a major European bank, which led to a successful proof of concept, and eventually expanded into a long-term partnership. This collaboration with NTT DATA has enabled Myriad AI to work directly with customers and gain valuable insights, which helped it further refine its solutions.

And Wright says Mechanized AI’s partnership with NTT DATA has allowed his company to develop robust solutions for modernizing legacy systems. He sees this collaboration as a unique opportunity for Mechanized AI to leverage NTT DATA’s extensive resources and expertise to bring ideas to life.

Nicholson, Schoenherr and Wright agree that AI’s potential is not just in solving future problems but in addressing the challenges organizations face right now. The opportunity for AI to drive real, tangible change is vast.
 
“Collaboration, foresight, and a deep understanding of current business challenges are essential for success in the rapidly evolving field of AI,” Nicholson adds.

“As AI continues to evolve rapidly, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up, especially when they’ve already locked themselves into outdated solutions.”

Charles Wright, CEO and Founder, Mechanized AI

“I’m very excited about our ability to use AI to change the paradigm, to take something that traditionally has been done a certain way for 30, 40, or 50 years and to address it. And I really believe that to be successful, you need collaboration and partnerships.”

Dr. Ralf Schonherr, CEO and Co-Founder of Myriad AI

AI in Society

Both Schoenherr and Wright say one of the most exciting aspects of their work is the constant innovation that ensures they can stay ahead of the curve. As Schoenherr points out, AI companies that adapt and improve every time a new model or breakthrough is released will continue to thrive. Myriad AI does this in part by remaining model-agnostic, which allows it to incorporate the latest AI advancements into its platform.

And, Schoenherr says, because Myriad AI provides a comprehensive solution that integrates into the entire organizational workflow, it benefits departments beyond just compliance. The platform’s ability to adapt to regulatory changes quickly helps clients remain compliant and avoid costly errors. He adds that Myriad AI plans to expand its business beyond financial services into other highly regulated industries, offering innovative solutions for compliance and risk detection. “We are committed to remaining at the forefront of AI-driven compliance technology, constantly enhancing our offerings as the regulatory and technological landscapes evolve,” Schonherr says.

Mechanized AI’s approach, meanwhile, focuses on developing flexible, scalable AI solutions that can seamlessly integrate into industrial environments, helping clients improve efficiency, safety, and sustainability. For instance, predictive maintenance allows manufacturers to avoid costly downtime and optimize production lines. Mechanized AI also helps companies implement AI in automation to make real-time decisions, optimize resource usage, and reduce operational costs, as well as enhancing safety in hazardous industrial environments and supporting sustainability goals by reducing energy consumption and waste.

Wright says Mechanized AI is actively working to expand its technology beyond traditional manufacturing into sectors like agriculture, transportation and construction, where automation and AI can significantly improve operations. He sees a future where AI becomes fully integrated into all aspects of industrial operations, from supply chain management to customer service, transforming industries by making them smarter, safer, and more efficient.

He points out that the biggest challenge isn’t the technology itself, but changing the mindset of businesses that have already invested in older systems. As AI develops at a rapid pace, many companies are struggling to keep up, especially those tied to outdated solutions.

Staying competitive requires collaboration, planning, and a strong grasp of customer and business needs. From meeting regulatory requirements to dealing with large, aging systems, AI has the potential to bring meaningful and lasting improvements.

As Nicholson says, AI companies that can adapt quickly and improve with each new development will continue to lead. Success will depend on the ability to work together, anticipate change, and truly understand the challenges businesses are navigating.