KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 26, 2026

The “tap” is not the transformation. It is where the transformation finally becomes visible.

The “tap” is not the transformation. It is where the transformation finally becomes visible.

A seamless customer experience can look deceptively simple. Tap a card. Receive a recommendation. Get a real-time alert. Ask an AI assistant a question.

But behind that moment are years of decisions about data, infrastructure, integration, security, processes, and operating models.

In her latest AI Unplugged article, Dr. Priya Sarathy, Director of KSU’s Center for Data Science and Analytics, uses the evolution of New York City subway access—from tokens to fare cards to contactless payment—to explore a larger lesson for organizations pursuing AI.

AI cannot leapfrog the foundations required to make intelligence useful.

For leaders, the question may not be “How do we use AI to personalize?” but rather: “Have we built the data, context, connectivity, and operational readiness that allow AI to deliver value?”

A timely perspective on modernization, AI readiness, and why transformation often begins long before the technology becomes visible. 

Read “A Tap Is Not Transformation.”