Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the world’s largest AV and systems integration show, has announced that Sol Rashidi will be a keynote speaker, stepping onto the stage at 3 pm on Wednesday 4 February.
Her involvement aligns perfectly with ISE’s 2026 theme, ‘Push Beyond,’ encourages the industry to explore every opportunity and redefine what’s possible.
Rashidi’s keynote, titled The AI Reality Check: What It Takes to Scale and the Future of Leadership, will explore how AI is no longer just a buzzword but a complex landscape filled with hype, half-truths, and serious challenges. Executives face pressure to move fast, but many rely on noise rather than facts to guide decisions.
In this session, Rashidi will clarify the realities of the AI market, presenting frameworks and models, and emphasising the importance of AI Governance and cybersecurity for successful scaling. Drawing on her expertise, she will discuss how to assess AI projects and protect data, workforce, and competitive edge.
The world's first chief AI officer
Rashidi is renowned for her pioneering work in business innovation and technology, having held four C-suite positions at Fortune 500 firms.
She became the world’s first chief AI officer for enterprise in 2016, leading AI and data projects at Sony Music, Merck, and Estée Lauder before joining Amazon as a tech executive. She holds 10 patents and authored the best-selling book Your AI Survival Guide, recognised as one of the Top 50 AI books.
Rashidi has spoken at three TEDx events, amassing over 1 million views, and has been named by Forbes as an ‘AI Maverick & Visionary of the 21st Century’ and one of the ‘Top 5 Leaders Taking AI to Everyone.’
Alongside her pioneering career, she created The Human Amplification Index, a novel method for measuring ROI to assess how effectively companies enhance their businesses and workforces through AI. She also provides Intellectual Atrophy training to help companies and organisations outsource tasks rather than rely on critical thinking in the AI era.
Rashidi played a key role in developing and launching IBM’s Watson in 2011, and she now has over 200 deployments. As both a practitioner and executive, she has received awards such as ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Tech,’ ‘Top 100 AI Thought Leaders,’ and ‘Top 100 Data & Analytics Leaders.’
Rashidi says: “The challenge isn’t adopting AI, it’s leading with it. I look forward to ISE 2026 to show how separating hype from fact, implementing strong governance, and integrating cybersecurity makes all the difference.”
"We are honoured to host Sol Rashidi, and we can’t wait to hear her Keynote at ISE 2026," adds Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events.
"Sol's visionary approach, extensive experience and deep understanding of the evolving business landscape will undoubtedly inspire and empower our attendees to push beyond the general realms of AI.
"We’re looking forward to Sol bringing her expertise to ISE as she sits at the intersection of top-tier leadership in AI, technology and corporate strategy while bridging innovation with business impact."
Attend ISE 2026
Registration for ISE 2026 is now open, and blooloop readers can register for free with the code ‘blooloop’ here.
The event will feature a rich content programme, showcases and demonstrations, and the new 'Spark' initiative.
Taking place from 3 to 6 February in Barcelona, ISE 2026 invites lighting designers, event producers, venue operators, and technology suppliers to test the limits of technology, production, and creativity under the theme Push Beyond.
Interactive showcases, immersive live demonstrations, and insightful talks by key figures place attendees at the cutting edge of event technology.
Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.
