Ganesha Rasiah on the Ubiquity of Enterprise Innovation and the ‘Human Fabric’ of AI

At the heart of CES 2026, the conversation surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shifted from “if” to “how.” At the LA Times Studios and Monks lounge, Ganesha Rasiah, SVP and GM of Enterprise AI platforms at Celestica, sat down with LA Times Studios’ Kristen Berke to discuss the real-world manifestation of AI in the workplace. Far from being a niche tool, Rasiah views AI as a rapidly integrating fabric of modern life – one that will soon become as invisible and essential as the electricity that powers it.

The Great Unlock: Coding and Productivity

Rasiah identified the most immediate and significant productivity gains in the world of software development. Because the “developer archetype” is naturally tech-savvy, AI coding assistants have become a seamless extension of the human worker.

“It’s almost like another human working with you, but working alongside you,” Rasiah noted. This “coding acceleration” is why startups in the space are reaching massive valuations so quickly – it represents a tangible, high-value use case for generative AI that moves beyond mere novelty.

Beyond the Buzzword: The Goal of Ubiquity

One of the more lighthearted moments of the interview came when Rasiah discussed the current “AI obsession,” noting that even his new washing machine features an “AI mode.” However, he believes this saturation is a precursor to a deeper shift. Just as the current generation of children cannot relate to the linear, broadcast nature of traditional radio, the next generation won’t think of AI as a separate technology.

“The children of this generation are going to be trained in a model where the expectation is going to be... not thinking about what is and isn’t in AI. It’s just a thing. It’s just part of the fabric of life.”

The Challenge of Data Domains

While the potential is vast, Rasiah was candid about the roadblocks facing the enterprise. The biggest hurdle isn’t just “change management,” but a “jostling for power” among software providers. Currently, most enterprise data exist in separate “SaaS application domains,” and providers are hesitant to allow cross-platform inferencing for fear of losing their direct interface with the customer.

Rasiah advocates for an open architecture and a neutral stance toward technology. “Let the best player win for the specific use case and the specific time,” he argued, suggesting that competition is necessary to drive the industry toward the scale it needs.

Human vs. Humanoid: The Limits of Engineering

In a philosophical turn, Rasiah addressed the persistent fear of job displacement. At Celestica, he uses AI to “constrain headcount” not to save money, but to push existing teams toward higher-value work. By automating “digital friction” – the small, time-wasting tasks like manual browser refreshes – AI allows humans to reclaim the “greatest currency of productivity: time.”

However, Rasiah is firm that AI will never truly replace the human connection, particularly in fields like sports or spirituality.

“So much of what makes us human is about what we don’t understand. And so, what we don’t understand... how in the world would we share that with an AI to incorporate? Because we don’t understand it, right? So you can’t build what you don’t understand. Ultimately, Rasiah remains bullish on AI’s ability to democratize knowledge and raise the “floor” for humanity globally, making basic necessities more accessible through its deflationary nature.