It’s been a while since we launched Above Trends, Beyond Insights. What started as an experiment in rethinking our editorial voice has now become a steady practice: every issue, we scan the signals that matter and translate them into business insight. Our commitment remains the same (less noise, more signal), with an even stronger focus on what executives need to navigate uncertainty: timely context, curated trends, and practical guidance.

AI under European scrutiny (again!)

Europe is once again examining how advanced models behave in the real world, and the new investigation into OpenAI under the Digital Services Act feels like a chapter we have read before.

The Commission is looking at how ChatGPT handles disinformation, transparency and watermarking, which are all themes that continue to define the uneasy relationship between fast-moving AI and slow-moving regulation.

What makes this round interesting is the shift in maturity. This is no longer the debate of early 2023 about whether generative AI is “safe enough” but a confrontation with systemic risks, accountability chains and the practical duties of anyone who integrates large models into workflows that influence decisions, customer interactions or public information.

The European approach is becoming clearer: models can innovate at high speed, but they need governance that explains how they steer, how they decide and where their blind spots are.

The interesting twist is that this scrutiny, repeated as it may feel, is pushing the market toward more transparent and auditable models. Leaders who treat this shift as an operational constraint will feel friction, while those who treat it as a design question will likely find themselves ahead of the next regulatory cycle.

TREND TRACKER

Zero-ETL architectures: the next evolution of data integration

Zero-ETL architectures are reshaping how organisations move and combine data across platforms.

The idea is simple: eliminate traditional pipelines in favour of native, automatic synchronisation between systems such as data warehouses, operational databases and analytics engines.

Major vendors are adopting this model to reduce latency, improve data quality and remove maintenance overhead. The timing is not accidental; as companies scale AI workloads, real-time data flows become essential, and the cost of managing manual ETL processes grows quickly.

Zero-ETL offers a more resilient alternative that reduces complexity and supports analytics with fresher, more reliable information. It also unlocks new governance questions, because fewer pipelines do not mean fewer responsibilities. Teams need clarity on lineage, security and ownership of the data that now travels automatically across environments. The strategic value is evident: better decision making through faster and cleaner data.

Want to learn more?

• DataCamp - What is Zero-ETL? Introducing New Approaches to Data Integration

• AWS Blog - Zero-ETL: How AWS is tackling data integration challenges

• Isaca.org - The Zero ETL Paradigm: Transforming Enterprise Data Integration in Real Time

QUICK INSIGHT

How to build a realistic internal AI Policy

Every organisation adopting AI needs a policy that clarifies responsibilities, expectations and acceptable use. A good policy does not aim for perfection. It gives teams enough structure to operate safely and enough flexibility to adapt to new models, new risks and new regulatory requirements.

What to include

• Define who is allowed to use which AI tools and for what purposes

• Identify sensitive data that cannot be processed by external models

• Require human oversight for decisions that affect customers, operations or compliance

• Set rules for model evaluation, including accuracy checks and bias monitoring

• Establish a reporting route for incidents and unexpected model behaviour

• Keep a lightweight registry of AI use cases across functions

WHO IS BABINI MAZZARI

Our Value Proposition

Babini Mazzari is the strategic IT partner for European companies looking to navigate digital transformation in a structured, pragmatic, and sustainable way.
We don’t just deliver technical solutions - we work as an extension of your internal team, helping you integrate systems, optimize processes, and lead change with clarity and competence.

Our approach is built on listening, transparency, and a strong results-driven culture. Whether you're scaling, modernizing, or rethinking your operating model, we support every client with the right tools, clear methodology, and long-term vision.
Above Technology. Beyond Solutions.

📎 [Our services]
📎 [Our Manifesto]