Applied AI Across Industries: The Vertical Translation of a Horizontal Capability

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers capabilities that appear universal-such as prediction, classification, optimisation, generation, and automation. However, these same capabilities may succeed in one industry while failing in another. The difference lies not only in the technology but also in the data, workflows, regulations, infrastructure, institutions, and the people involved. The book *Applied AI Across Industries* examines how organisations can transform horizontal AI capabilities into effective vertical applications using a consistent analytical framework. It explores AI across various sectors, including financial services, healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, energy and utilities, agriculture and food systems, transportation and logistics, retail and e-commerce, media and communications, professional services, and the public sector. Readers will learn how to: - Evaluate industries based on variables such as data, workflows, and regulations. - Distinguish between technical capabilities and deployable enterprise solutions. - Assess AI readiness and adoption barriers within each sector. - Understand the roles of governance, accountability, infrastructure, and human decision-making. - Recognise patterns of successful and unsuccessful AI transformations. - Identify opportunities for responsible cross-industry transfer. Case studies involving organisations and systems-such as IBM Watson Health, Maersk Remote Container Management, Sea Group and Shopee, Netflix, Harvey AI, and Estonia's X-Road architecture-bridge the analytical framework with real-world practice. A concluding section synthesises lessons learned across these various industries. It presents an integrated overview of AI leaders putting the technology into practice. By evaluating AI opportunities across various industries, the book enables readers to apply the framework to their own chosen sectors, organisations, or proposed initiatives. Designed for students, executives, project managers, consultants, policymakers, and technology professionals, this book offers a systematic approach to understanding not only what AI can achieve but also the changes required for it to operate responsibly within a specific industry.