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AI Is Exposing the Data Problems Humans Used to Hide - Tom Raftery.com

As AI moves from analysis to action, competitive advantage may depend less on who has the smartest model and more on who can explain precisely what their own data means. I explore that argument in full here: tomraftery.com/2026/10/12/a... #AgenticAI #SupplyChain

tomraftery.com

Enterprise AI is exposing a hidden weakness: data systems that worked because people supplied missing context. As machines start making operational decisions, semantic debt becomes a business risk.

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I’ve started thinking of this as “semantic debt”: years of undocumented definitions, exceptions and tribal knowledge that remained invisible because people compensated. Kismet: AI doesn’t create that debt. It starts charging interest on it.

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That has practical consequences. An AI agent can spot procurement leakage across thousands of transactions. But if supplier identities, contract terms or definitions are inconsistent, it can also automate that leakage faster than a human team ever could.

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McKinsey reported in 2026 that just 7% of companies had fully scaled AI, while more than two-thirds of high-performing companies identified data as their primary obstacle. The bottleneck is shifting from model capability to organisational context.

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This is why “clean data” is no longer enough. Accuracy, completeness and consistency matter. But AI also needs semantics, provenance, freshness, ownership and intended use. A perfectly formatted field can still be wrong for the decision being made.

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Take “order delivery date”. Warehouse may mean the truck has left. Finance may mean the customer has received the goods and revenue can be recognised. Both can be technically correct. An AI agent still has to know which meaning applies.

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Tom Raftery @tomraftery.wsocial.eu · 12/10/2026

Enterprise AI is exposing a problem many companies have been quietly living with for years: data that works because humans know what it really means. Once machines start making decisions, that hidden context becomes operational risk. #ai #artificialintelligence #agenticai

People standing in front of control screens

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AI is exposing a dirty secret in enterprise data: many systems worked because humans quietly supplied missing context. As machines start making decisions, semantic debt, provenance and meaning may matter more than having the smartest model. tomraftery.com/2026/10/12/a...

tomraftery.com

AI Is Exposing Hidden Enterprise Data Problems

AI agents expose data flaws humans once quietly corrected. Why semantic debt, context and governance now matter for supply-chain decisions.

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Olaf van der Veen doesn’t mind whether a customer wants a more sustainable business or a bigger car. His argument: cutting food waste saves money either way. That leaves room for a fairly wide range of motivations.

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Terry Boyle says free returns incentivise bad behaviour. Then comes the difficult part: he’s not sure retailers can stay competitive without them. How do you change a practice your customers have come to expect?

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Procurement saves the business money. The response? “Why didn’t you find savings last year?” Spencer Penn on the peculiar experience of delivering a result and still having to defend yourself. Preventing a crisis can be an equally thankless job.

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Eugene McParland @eugenemcparland.wsocial.eu · 19/09/2026

Would you buy a car that disappeared when its manufacturer went bust? Wayne Scott uses that comparison to explain a risk with cloud software. I’ve put four moments from my Resilient Supply Chain podcast into this reel.

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

Raiffeisen Bank faces allegations of processing over $1B in sanctioned imports to russia, plus Iran/North Korea trade. Advocacy groups urge regulators to investigate, review SWIFT access, and block unfreezing shares during proceedings. b4ukraine.org/whats-new/ra...

b4ukraine.org

Calls for Immediate Investigation and Precautionary Measures Following Allegations of Sanctions-Evasion Through Raiffeisen’s Russian Branch

Investment analytics firm Grizzly Research says it identified $1.19 billion in Russian trade involving goods covered by EU, US, UK or Swiss import and export restrictions.

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

European Central Bank @ecb.europa.eu · 19/09/2026

There’s only three days left to share your views on our future banknotes! Tell us what you think and share the survey with someone who might have missed it surveys.ecb.europa.eu/10b/ecbeuro/

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Tom Raftery @tomraftery.wsocial.eu · 18/09/2026

It is in the eye of the beholder apparently!

Tom Raftery @tomraftery.wsocial.eu · 18/09/2026

Best name for this cat? I’ll go first - Richard? John Thomas? Willy? Over to you friends…

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

Margo Gontar @margogontar.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Russia bombed 2 shopping malls and 2 passenger trains in Ukraine today . That’s it . That’s the post .

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

Naomi Kritzer @naomikritzer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I'd love to see every Minnesotan Republican asked to take a stance on this...

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Tom Raftery @tomraftery.wsocial.eu · 17/09/2026

In case you’re depressed from all the doomscrolling, allow me to brighten your timeline a little!

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 17/09/2026

⚡️ "Stop calling it hybrid. We are under attack," Latvian MEP Rihards Kols urged the European Parliament, listing acts of Russian sabotage across Europe and demanding decisive action against Moscow's networks.

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Reposted by Tom Raftery

24Hours Ukraine @24hoursukraine.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦”Anyone who today believes we should give up Ukraine in its fight for freedom has given up freedom throughout Europe tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen.” - Friedrich Merz Chancellor of Germany

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Tom Raftery @tomraftery.wsocial.eu · 17/09/2026

Viagra, Botox, Humira, Ozempic and Wegovy amongst others are only manufactured in Europe. Your move Donnie!

I mean, it depends on your mileage. We've been an EV only household since 2018. We have a 7kW charger which I use to top after long trips, but for most charging, I use a regular 2kW wall plug.

Electric vehicles aren't just better for climate, and local air quality and noise pollution, they're also far cheaper to run. And this doesn't count the fact they cost about 50% less in maintenance costs. #ElectricVehicle

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Is this the end of the road? 🛣️ 🏃🏼‍♂️ meep meep

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Sure, but then you have to put petrol into it - complete with its volatile pricing, and noxious fumes. And change the oil and timing belt, regular maintenance, etc.

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Trash Talker - a new statue of Donald unveiled during his recent visit to Ireland.

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I mean, for the performance you are getting. If you're looking for a sporty car... your not going to get much better price/performance

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You mean like the MG Cyberster? The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT? The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore? the Lotus Emeya? The Hyundai Ioniq 5N? The Rimac nevera? Or at the other end, the Alpine A290? Abarth 500e?Totem GT Electric? or the Mini John Cooper Works Electric?

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250 tankers of diesel, or one tanker full of solar panels? I know which one I'd prefer. #solarpower #renewables

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Thanks, and likewise Antonio. I received an invite in July but when I tried to use it, I ran into tech issues, and then with the summer, forgot! Remembered just the other day, and here we are!

The move to electric vehicles is relentless (thankfully!) - and it's not just passenger vehicles, buses, vans, two and three wheelers, and more recently even HGVs are going electric. #ElectricVehicle

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I've not lived in Ireland for quite some time, but I love the look on his face, and am so proud of Irish president Catherine Connelly. Not sure what she said to him, but he doesn't look too happy!

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