Rakuten X DataScience SG

Talk Topic: The Business and Technology Impact of Agentic AI

For the coming August DataScience SG Meetup, we have Rakuten sharing with us more of their work in Agentic AI! Here are the details!

Agenda
6.30pm - 7.00pm: Registration
7.00pm - 7.30pm: Business Impact of Agentic AI (Vishal Kshirsagar)
7.30pm - 8.00pm: Technology Impact of Agentic AI (Stephen Li)
8.00pm - 8.30pm: Networking

Synopsis

Session 1: Business Impact of Agentic AI
Speaker: Vishal Kshirsagar

AI agents are disrupting the core business models that made the internet the bedrock for building trillion-dollar companies. Far beyond simple tools, these autonomous agents are reshaping how we work, shop, and interact. In this talk, I’ll dive into how AI agents are challenging everything from the attention economy to service delivery,
forcing businesses to rethink their strategies. Moving beyond the typical hype, we’ll explore the real-world impact of this shift, with a focus on Rakuten’s groundbreaking work in the field. Join us to understand how the Agent Revolution is driving the next phase of innovation in the digital economy.

Session 2: Technology Impact of Agentic AI
Speaker: Stephen Li

Abstract:
Agentic AI systems demand a fundamentally different approach to how we design, develop, and deploy AI technology. From long-term memory to decision autonomy and multimodal reasoning, these systems aren’t just answering questions — they’re carrying out missions. In this talk, I’ll explore the architectural foundations of modern AI agents, the trade-offs involved in autonomy vs. control, and the technical challenges we
face in scaling these systems responsibly. Drawing from our experience at Rakuten, I’ll share insights on how we're leveraging agentic AI to power Rakuten AI (Universal Concierge) — an AI assistant that connects users with services across shopping, travel, and more.

Speaker Bio

o Vishal Kshirsagar is a product leader with 13 years of experience, including over 8 years in driving AI product innovation from 0 to 1. Currently leading Rakuten's Visual AI portfolio, Vishal has developed AI-driven solutions across various markets, focusing on creative automation, content moderation, and compliance tooling. With a background in Python development, he bridges the gap between technical and business teams to deliver impactful, scalable products.

Outside of work, Vishal enjoys reading non-fiction, running, and going on treks with his kids. He is excited about the role AI agents will play
in evolving business models and driving new opportunities in the digital economy.

o Stephen Li is the Lead Product Manager at Rakuten, managing AI-driven product initiatives such as Universal Concierge and Universal Search. Prior to Rakuten, he led the product development of ViSenze's world leading Visual AI SaaS platform and was previously a tech lead for McDonald’s global online ordering system across 22 countries. With vast experience across technology, solution design, and product management, he has delivered impactful products spanning visual search, multimodal chat, and LLM-based recommendation systems. He’s passionate about transforming user experience through agentic AI and driving measurable impact with scalable, intelligent systems.

In-person registration details:
We will have someone at the CapitaGreen Building lobby to give out temporary passes. The attendees will need to take the lift up to level 19 event space.