Sometimes we forget the humans behind the tech in our ever busy world. DSF is fortunate enough to know some incredible tech leaders across the world and has the privilege of hearing them present at our events. That being said, our Speaker Spotlight sets the stage to get to know our speakers on a more personal level and connect them with our growing community. Read the mini interview below!

A bit about Niyati

Niyati P is an AI Lead with deep experience across robotics, computer vision, and multimodal intelligence systems. Her work primarily focuses on building scalable AI products, tools and platforms while developing applied research that bridges device automation and real-world impact, product development and corporate finance in the AI era with ongoing contributions to scientific research and technology that shapes the future of how humans and machines interact. 

How did you start out in your tech career?

It started with a curiosity for how machines learn, perceive, and interact with the world while working on projects such as electric gliders and vision based Robots. What began as experimenting with those small machine learning projects evolved into building applied AI systems in robotics, computer vision, LLMs, and automation. Over time, I expanded into product development, startup building, and technical leadership therefore combining engineering, business, and real-world problem solving into a single path. Every step has reinforced my belief that technology, when created to impact, proclaims immense value at scale. 

What are the signs of success in your field?

The true sign of success in AI isn’t only about models and metrics but the sustainability of ethical soundness, creativity and impact. 

  • Solving meaningful problems. 
  • Making commercial products easy enough to be used by real people or businesses.
  • Continuously learning, evolving, and staying ahead of the curve. 
  • Ability to lead, think critically, innovate for greater good and predict outcomes.

What is the best and worst thing about your job role?

Best: 

The ability to create something out of your ideation and turning those ideas into intelligent systems that learn, predict and solve real problems. Contributing to a future that moves a needle a day. 

Worst: 

The drastic pace at which AI evolves – It’s exciting but also keeping up to evolve is second to that.

What can you advise someone just starting out to be successful?

  • Staying curious, developing first principle thinking and having strong fundamentals
  • Building and iterating as execution beats knowledge. 
  • To be able to articulate your thoughts and work. 
  • Applying what you learn everyday. 
  • And being a student of life, consistently.

How do you switch off?

I step away from screens, slow down, and reconnect with the physical world by hiking in nature, reading books, podcasts, and going camping in the countryside. Staying creative at the same time evaluating the forward thinking decisions.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Share your work publicly. Actively put yourself in a room where you are forced to think outside of the box. Discuss your work and intentionally seek out feedback. Take bigger risks sooner. And trust your instinct to evolve in your skills.

What is next for you?

I’m focusing on building AI-driven products with impact particularly in multimodal intelligence, robotics, next generation devices, market research, corporate communication and finance blending with global exposure, continuous learning, and meaningful collaborations. 

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?

I would like to build / develop something in sustainable energy and cognitive interactive intelligent systems. I would say energy and data intelligence as infrastructure would help architects shaping the next decades.

What are your top 5 predictions in tech for the next 5 years?

1. Agentic multimodal AI systems could replace traditional apps, software would think, act, and solve autonomously. 

2. AI robotics would scale into factories, warehouses, hospitals, and homes.

3. Personal AI models, everyone will have a private assistant that learns from their data.

4. AI + Finance + Automation will democratize investing and business operations globally. 

5. Human-Machine co-working environments will emerge cyber-physical teams, cognitive collaboration, shared intelligence.

Thank you to all our wonderful speakers for taking part in our Speaker Spotlight!

Want to become a DSF Speaker? Apply here!