Katie King, author and CEO of AI in Business, delivered the keynote session “The AI Advantage” at MasterMinds 2025. With more than 30 years of experience advising global organizations on digital transformation, King focused her presentation on how packaging leaders can adopt AI tools to improve productivity, compliance and customer engagement.
King began her session by making it clear that AI is no longer a distant concept. It is a current and essential tool that is already transforming how companies manage data, streamline operations and deliver more personalized experiences. She emphasized that adopting AI successfully requires more than interest or experimentation. It demands a thoughtful, cross-functional strategy that aligns closely with business objectives.
To help organizations assess their readiness, King introduced a practical framework built around a ten-point scorecard. This tool allows companies to evaluate leadership support, internal capabilities and infrastructure. She also stressed the value of forming dedicated AI task forces and developing agile roadmaps that support testing, learning and iteration. Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, she encouraged companies to take initiative and shape how AI is integrated into their operations.
Throughout the session, King illustrated these ideas with real-world examples from the packaging industry. She highlighted applications such as intelligent labeling, dynamic codes, compliance monitoring and sustainability tracking. At the same time, she addressed important concerns around data privacy, ethical use and the potential for dehumanization. Her message was clear: human oversight and transparency must remain central to any AI-driven system.