IBM celebrates one hundred years in Spain with a meeting this Thursday at the Archivo de Indias in Seville. Its territorial director in Andalusia, Marisa Ramos, urges companies to move from AI pilots to measurable results.
IBM is celebrating one hundred years in Spain and more than seven decades of activity in Andalusia. The technology company has chosen the Archivo de Indias in Seville to hold a meeting with businesses and administrations this Thursday, as reported by abc.es. The building is not a coincidence: IBM participated in its digitisation over thirty years ago, after having been a technology partner for the Expo 92.
The territorial director of IBM in Andalusia, Marisa Ramos, places the anniversary on two levels. On one hand, the transformation of the country over these decades; on the other, the reinvention of the company itself, which now positions artificial intelligence and quantum computing as the cornerstones of its new phase. IBM technology was present in the counting of the first democratic elections and in the constitutional referendum of 1978.
“One hundred years tell two stories. On one hand, the enormous transformation that Spain has undergone. And, on the other, the privilege we have had to accompany the country for a good part of that journey.”
Ramos rejects the notion that AI was born two years ago. IBM has been researching this field for approximately 70 years, she recalls, and what is happening now is the leap from specialised technology to transversal capability in practically any organisation. This change, she adds, requires AI to be reliable, secure, transparent, and governable, not just powerful.
Regarding real impact, the executive focuses on return. She asserts that the question is no longer whether artificial intelligence works, but how to generate value from it, and identifies three areas where results of between 50% and 70% are already being achieved: customer, citizen, and employee support; software development; and business support functions, such as human resources, finance, procurement, or IT. IBM has applied these tools within the company itself and has generated over 4.5 billion dollars in productivity.
“Companies do not need hundreds of pilot projects. What is important is to identify a few opportunities with clear impact and scale them.”
When asked about the fear of job destruction, Ramos distinguishes between jobs and tasks. AI will primarily change repetitive tasks, she argues, and what will transform is the nature of many positions, with less routine and more judgement, creativity, and interaction with clients. In her opinion, there is not a job crisis but a transition of skills.
For Andalusia, the opportunity lies in connecting talent, universities, the business fabric, and technological centres with new capabilities. IBM collaborates with the Andalusian Administration on virtual assistants for citizen information and is already applying AI in banking, industry, pharmaceutical distribution, water management, and sports through its network of partners. The company’s recommendation for businesses looking to move from experimentation to business is clear: choose two or three use cases with clear impact, measure the results, and scale them.
The meeting this Thursday at the Archivo de Indias will serve to review this centenary and present IBM's lines of work in the community.
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