From AI Agents to AI Operations: The Missing Layer for Enterprise Scale
Deploying AI agents is one challenge. Operating them reliably across an enterprise is another. As organizations move from isolated AI experiments to production-scale agentic systems, the need for coordinated operations, governance, observability, and performance management becomes increasingly important. In this session, "From AI Agents to AI Operations: The Missing Layer for Enterprise Scale," from COLLIDE Data + AI Conference 2026, Ann Leach, Executive Director, Data and AI Product Marketing @ IBM, explores the operational considerations involved in scaling AI agents across complex enterprise environments. AI agents can execute workflows, interact with enterprise data, and use external tools to support business processes. However, managing these capabilities at scale introduces challenges around system reliability, monitoring, security, resource utilization, and accountability. For enterprise data and AI leaders, the transition from deploying individual agents to managing AI operations raises important questions about how organizations can establish consistent oversight while supporting innovation. Operational disciplines such as LLMOps, AI observability, lifecycle management, and runtime governance become increasingly relevant as autonomous systems interact with critical enterprise applications. This session provides an opportunity to examine the operational foundations that can help organizations move beyond individual AI agents toward scalable, governed enterprise AI systems. 🎯 Key Topics to Explore: From AI Agents to AI Operations: Why deploying autonomous agents is only one part of building scalable enterprise AI capabilities. AI Observability and Monitoring: The importance of tracking agent behavior, system performance, reliability, and operational health. Enterprise AI Governance: How policy enforcement, accountability, and human oversight can support responsible agentic AI deployment. LLMOps and Agent Lifecycle Management: Considerations for managing, evaluating, updating, and maintaining AI-powered applications in production. Scaling AI Across the Enterprise: The architectural and operational challenges associated with coordinating multiple agents, workflows, and enterprise systems. 🎤 Featured Speaker Ann Leach Executive Director, Data and AI Product Marketing | IBM Session Brought to You By: IBM About COLLIDE Data + AI Conference 2026 Organized by Data Science Connect, COLLIDE Data + AI Conference 2026 took place on October 1, 2026, at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference brought together enterprise decision-makers, data and AI leaders, and leading AI solution providers to explore the evolving data and AI landscape, scale AI responsibly, and exchange practical insights with industry peers. Learn more about COLLIDE: https://datasciconnect.com/events/collide/ ▶️ Watch More from COLLIDE 2026 Watch the full session to explore the operational considerations behind moving from individual AI agents to enterprise-scale AI operations. Subscribe to the Data Science Connect YouTube channel for more executive presentations, technical sessions, and industry discussions from COLLIDE Data + AI Conference 2026 covering agentic AI, enterprise AI operations, AI governance, and AI transformation.