Building AI That Works: A Hands-On Simulation of Success and Failure

​Most organizations are no longer experimenting with AI - they are trying to scale it. And this is where things start to break.

​Despite strong models and successful pilots, many AI initiatives fail to deliver real value. Not because the technology doesn’t work, but because success is not well defined, measured and managed in real-world conditions.

​In this interactive session, participants will step into a simulated AI transformation scenario, making decisions under real constraints such as data limitations, cost pressure, user behavior and governance requirements. Through this exercise, we will uncover why AI systems that “work” in demos often fail in reality and what it actually takes to build systems that are measurable, reliable and worth scaling.

​Target audience: product managers, data/AI professionals, business leaders, curious minds and anyone involved in implementing or scaling AI systems in practice.

​Please only apply for this workshop if you hold a valid GenAI Zürich 2026 ticket. Applications submitted without a valid ticket will be rejected. Don’t have a ticket yet? You can secure yours here.

​All applications are subject to approval by the workshop organizers. If your application is successful, we recommend arriving 10 minutes before the workshop starts to secure your seat. Allocated seats that have not been filled 5 minutes before the workshop start may be released and reallocated to spontaneous participants.