Artak Amirbekyan reflects on 20 years of data evolution and how democratised AI now demands strong guardrails in this Data & AI Edge interview.

Artak Amirbekyan, Chief Data Officer at EBOS Group, has a career spanning two decades of transformation in data and analytics.

From his early academic work in privacy-preserving data mining to leading enterprise AI strategies, Artak has witnessed the field evolve from niche to essential.

He began his career in Germany, later moving to Australia to pursue a PhD focused on data mining and digital privacy.

At the time, opportunities in this space were limited in Australia, especially compared to the US.

Artak initially entered academia before transitioning into industry as the market matured and demand for data talent grew.

Today, he sees data and AI as deeply embedded in both business operations and governance.

He noted that twenty years ago, many leaders dismissed digital privacy and data mining as unnecessary.

Now, roles like Chief Data Officer and Chief AI Officer are not only common, but essential to strategic decision-making.

This reflects a broader societal shift in the way data is valued and managed.

Artak also addressed the democratisation of AI, where lower costs and greater accessibility, exemplified by tools like ChatGPT, have enabled widespread usage.

This has unlocked new value and innovation across teams.

However, he warned that adoption must be balanced with governance.

He emphasised the importance of organisational guardrails to manage AI responsibly.

By setting clear policies around data access, usage, and accountability, businesses can enable innovation while safeguarding trust and compliance.

Guardrails, he argued, are essential to scale AI safely and sustainably.

 

Key takeaways

  • Data and AI have shifted from niche to essential – Over 20 years, data and AI moved from academic curiosity to core business functions with dedicated leadership roles and enterprise-wide impact.
  • Democratisation accelerates innovation – As tools like ChatGPT lower entry barriers, AI becomes widely used across organisations—driving broader innovation and productivity gains.
  • Guardrails protect innovation at scale – Responsible AI adoption requires clear governance, from data sharing policies to ethical frameworks, ensuring safe and strategic deployment.
Contributors
Artak Amirbekyan Chief Data Officer at EBOS Group
Artak Amirbekyan, PhD is currently the Chief Data Officer at EBOS Group. Formerly, he was the Head of Data, AI, and ML... More

Artak Amirbekyan, PhD is currently the Chief Data Officer at EBOS Group.

Formerly, he was the Head of Data, AI, and ML at Transurban, where responsibilities included executing data and advanced analytics strategy and managing substantial CAPEX/OPEX budgets.

He recently won the the iTnews Benchmark Award for Best Industrial Project.Prior to this role, Artak was the Executive Manager of AI Labs at Commonwealth Bank, leading a large team of data scientists on strategic projects and capability building.

Earlier experience includes Data Science Manager at Caltex Australia, where Artak led a team focused on analytics capabilities and cloud infrastructure, and Senior Product Data Analyst at CoreLogic RP Data, specialising in predictive modeling and customer analytics.

Artak’s career also encompasses roles as a Computational Scientist at ESSCC, The University of Queensland, and as a Research Assistant at Fraunhofer ITWM, focusing on mathematical modeling and image processing.

Artak Amirbekyan holds a PhD in Data Mining from Griffith University and a Master’s degree in Industrial Mathematics with a focus on Image Processing from the University of Kaiserslautern.

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Peter Hind Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT
One of the ICT industry’s foremost analysts and commentators, Peter Hind has spent over 25 years advising and talking on topics across... More

One of the ICT industry’s foremost analysts and commentators, Peter Hind has spent over 25 years advising and talking on topics across the technology industry. His primary areas of interest are the potential of technology to transform the way organisations operate, the change management obstacles executives encounter in realising this potential, as well as the tactics and techniques leaders have deployed to overcome these difficulties.​

With roles across IDC, Unisys, NCR, Sigma Data, and others, Peter now takes on multiple roles within ADAPT including the moderation of private events and roundtables, interviewing business executives about the strategies they are pursuing and assisting with the structuring of delegate surveys.​

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