Fern Halper, a Briarcliff Manor resident for the past 10 years, has spent more than three decades working in data and artificial intelligence, long before AI became a household term. She began her career as a data scientist at Bell Labs and has spent the last few decades as an industry analyst. Part of her research includes how organizations adopt data, analytics, and AI, and what separates those that succeed from those that struggle.
Over the past few years, Halper has observed organizations rapidly adopting what she calls the “consumerized” path to AI: tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and a growing ecosystem of applications that make AI feel accessible, even effortless. In many cases, teams are using these tools to write content, summarize information, and streamline individual tasks. While this can provide value, what she consistently sees is that the impact remains fragmented, isolated to individuals or small teams, rather than translating into meaningful, sustained business outcomes. She calls this the “value ceiling.”
There is a second path, less visible and more demanding, but far more impactful. This is the path of building AI as an enterprise capability. It requires a strong data foundation, disciplined governance, the right architecture, and an organization that understands how to operationalize and trust AI at scale. It is not as simple as turning on a tool. It requires intentional investment and, often, a shift in how the organization thinks about data, decision-making, and accountability.
Halper wrote Data Makes the World Go Round: The Data, Tech, and Trust Behind AI Success (Wiley) because she saw a widening gap between perception and reality. AI has become a headline topic, and with that has come a wave of commentary that often focuses on tools rather than what it actually takes for organizations to succeed. After more than 30 years in the data and AI space, she felt it was important to provide a grounded, experience-based perspective.
Across her work, she has seen the same pattern: success is rarely about technology alone. It is about the surrounding ecosystem, the data, processes, governance, and people. Today’s AI moment is no different. Organizations are under pressure from boards and executives to “do something with AI,” often with urgency but without clarity. The risk is that they pursue quick wins without building the foundation required for long-term success. That leads to what she describes as the illusion of progress.
This book is meant to cut through that noise. It outlines what actually drives AI success in practice, based on research and real-world experience. It provides a framework for thinking about AI readiness, not just in terms of tools, but in terms of data, governance, architecture, and organizational alignment. It is written for leaders who need to make informed decisions about where to invest, how to prioritize, and how to avoid repeating the same mistakes seen in previous waves of analytics and technology adoption.
Data Makes the World Go ’Round: The Data, Tech, and Trust Behind AI Success (Wiley, April 2026) reflects these ideas. Halper is the founder of the AI Foundations Group (www.aifoundationsgroup.com) and VP of Research at TDWI (www.tdwi.org).
Data Makes the World Go ’Round is available on Amazon, BN.com and other online booksellers.
