New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- Tata Steel has spent eight years building artificial intelligence (AI) into the fabric of its business. Today, more than 680 AI applications run across the steel major's operations in India. They monitor equipment for early signs of failure, process invoices, and guide engineers through troubleshooting before a breakdown occurs.

Soummo Bose, the company's chief AI officer, does not call any of it 'artificial intelligence'. "We call it augmenting intelligence," he says, reflecting the company's belief that AI should enhance human capability rather than replace it.

The distinction matters. That journey took a decade of investment in data infrastructure and specialized talent before a single model went into production....