Kicking off the session is this fascinating 30-minute keynote from Dirk Karl, Chief Procurement Officer at MTN. Dirk presents a deep dive into MTN's genuinely advanced usage of AI for Target Costing, outlining how this innovative approach is transforming strategic decision-making in their vast telecommunications organisation. He addresses critical, real-world concerns about adopting autonomous AI, discussing the vital topic of governance and the need for clear accountability when AI actions could potentially lead to contract breaches or other legal challenges. Dirk provides practical advice on two major hurdles for AI adoption: data quality and people. He explains the rigorous steps MTN took to get their data "good enough" to support effective AI use, a barrier many companies are currently struggling with. Crucially, he discusses the impact on the procurement team, covering the necessity of upskilling the workforce rather than shedding people. Finally, he shares how MTN successfully avoided the common pitfall of failed pilots, advising procurement leaders on how to effectively nail the use case before scaling their AI initiatives.