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By Tania Stockbridge | Dec. 4, 2025
Your Frontline, Your Future: Insights from Zebra’s Frontline AI Summit
The world is changing fast, and so is your frontline. Whether you’re in retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics (T&L), or healthcare, you’ve likely felt the pressure to do more with less. Customers want faster service. Employees need better tools. And your competition? They’re already looking for ways to use AI to get ahead.
At Zebra Technologies, we understand these challenges because we live them with you every day. That’s why we brought together some of the brightest minds in business and technology for our first-ever Frontline AI Summit. We wanted to have an honest conversation about how AI is already reshaping industries and, more importantly, what it means for you and your team.
In this blog, I’ll share some key takeaways from the summit, with insights from AI-Influencer Benedict Evans, AI Ethicist Anna Danes, and Rob Armstrong, CMO, Zebra Technologies. Their stories and advice can help you turn AI from an abstract idea into a powerful tool for your business.
Generative AI: The Next Big Shift Is Here
Benedict Evans kicked off the summit with a bold claim: “The next platform shift is generative AI.” He compared it to the moments when mainframes gave way to PCs, and the web changed how we all do business.
What does that mean for you? It means the way we work, innovate, and create value is about to change—again. Generative AI isn’t just a flashy new tool; it’s the foundation for the next wave of innovation. Companies that embrace it will become the new leaders in their industries. Those that don’t may find themselves struggling to keep up.
Benedict explained that every platform shift brings new winners and losers. “Generative AI creates new gatekeepers and new opportunities,” he said. “It’s where all the innovation is happening now.”
If you’re still relying on outdated systems or hesitant to explore AI, now is the time to act. The businesses that invest in digitization and intelligent tools today will be the ones shaping the future tomorrow.
Ethics Matter: Putting People at the Center of AI
As exciting as AI is, it also raises big questions. How do you make sure it helps people instead of just cutting costs? How do you build trust with your employees and customers? Anna Banes tackled these tough topics with a clear message: AI needs a human touch.
“People thrive when they feel supported, not watched,” Anna said. She talked about the importance of values like dignity, fairness, trust, and privacy. But she didn’t stop there. Anna gave practical advice for turning those values into action:
- Dignity: Give your employees control. Let them adjust AI settings and see how the technology supports their work.
- Fairness: Be transparent. Conduct audits and show people how AI makes decisions.
- Trust: Keep humans in the loop. AI should assist, not replace, your team.
Anna also reminded us that vision matters. “When you explain why you’re using AI and where it’s taking you, people are more likely to get on board,” she said.
Her advice is especially important for industries like healthcare and retail, where trust can make or break your business. Whether you’re using AI to improve patient care or personalize customer experiences, being open and ethical will help you build stronger relationships.
Making AI Work: Start with Your Frontline
Rob Armstrong engaged the audience with a simple truth: AI won’t fix your problems if your operations aren’t ready for it.
“About 75% of mid-market warehouses are still using pen and paper,” Rob said. “You can’t apply AI to something that hasn’t been digitized.”
Rob also highlighted a disconnect many of you may recognize. 82% of frontline workers don’t think leadership understands their daily challenges. If you’re not aligned with your team, even the best AI solutions will fall flat.
So, what can you do? Rob offered a roadmap:
- Digitize your operations. Start by creating a digital record of your workflows.
- Listen to your frontline. Spend time understanding what your employees deal with every day.
- Align your teams. Make sure everyone—from the C-suite to the shop floor—is on the same page about where you are and where you’re going.
Rob’s advice isn’t just theory. It’s backed by our study with Oxford Economics. For example, manufacturers who optimize quality control see 2.4% higher revenue growth. And the top 20 T&L organizations in the Forbes Global 2000 list could gain $1.2 billion in revenue per organization by improving visibility and agility.
The message is clear: AI isn’t magic. It’s a tool. And like any tool, it works best when you use it to solve specific problems in a thoughtful way.
Learning Together: The Power of Cross-Industry Collaboration
One of the most inspiring moments of the summit was hearing how different industries are tackling similar challenges. Retailers, for example, are using AI for demand forecasting. Manufacturers are adapting those same techniques to optimize production. Meanwhile, healthcare providers are setting the standard for trust and transparency, lessons that every industry can learn from.
Rob summed it up perfectly: “The difference between hype and impact is collaboration—across teams, across industries, and across technologies.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by AI, start by looking at what others are doing. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just need to be willing to learn and adapt.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’re ready to explore how AI is solving real-world problems across industries and helping businesses thrive, I encourage you to check out all the great content featured at the Frontline AI Summit. For more insights into what was discussed here, watch the summit presentations by Benedict Evans, Anna Banes, and Rob Armstrong. Their insights will inspire you to think differently about what’s possible and give you practical steps to move forward.
