At ICE Barcelona 2026, Mushegh Khachatryan, the chief AI officer at BetConstruct, highlighted a significant transformation in artificial intelligence over the past year and a half. According to Khachatryan, AI has shifted from a focus on prediction to facilitating real-time decision-making. He emphasized that modern AI systems can now handle complete decision cycles in live environments, which includes tasks like opening markets, managing risks, and closing positions with minimal human involvement.
When asked which AI system would be most detrimental to remove, Khachatryan firmly identified risk management. He explained that without AI-driven risk controls, operators would face increased regulatory risks, particularly as fraud techniques become more sophisticated.
Khachatryan also pointed out that true return on investment (ROI) in AI comes not solely from the technology itself, but from effectively integrating proprietary data, domain expertise, and execution speed. He named next-best-action personalization as the top performer among live deployments. This approach focuses on not only recommending content but also determining the optimal channel, timing, and messaging tailored for each customer.
Despite these advancements, he stressed the continued importance of human judgment. While AI can detect signals, it lacks the ability to interpret emotional context or intent. Therefore, he advises that critical AI systems should be developed in-house, whereas non-core tools can be acquired from external sources to support growth.
