Fake Data, Real Results: A New Way to Power AI

Here’s the secret no one tells you: Great AI doesn’t start with algorithms, it starts with data. Clean, connected, and well-structured data is what turns AI from a flashy toy to a real business advantage. When the foundation is strong, AI stops being a black box and starts becoming a true partner — anticipating your needs, surfacing critical insights, and unlocking ideas you couldn’t even conceive before.

The exciting part? Getting your data AI-ready isn’t some unreachable goal. With the right strategies, it’s entirely doable, and the payoff is massive. In this issue, we’ll share how you can transform data into a competitive edge, from training AI models with “fake” data to using untapped data like emails and PDFs. 

Fake data, real results 

What if the best way to use your data is to not use it at all? It sounds counterintuitive, but it's true in the age of AI. AI models need massive amounts of data to deliver good results, but using real data can be a privacy nightmare and a compliance headache. The solution is AI-generated synthetic data. It's got all the context and complexity of the real stuff, with almost none of the risks, so you can train your AI more quickly, safely, and cost-effectively. Ready to build without the risks? Here's your complete guide to synthetic data.

What data practitioners can learn from master chefs 

Behind every great restaurant meal is a chef who understands that exceptional experiences come from having every ingredient sourced, cleaned, and organized well before service begins. Your AI agents need the same approach to data. Just as messy kitchen prep leads to disappointing meals, scattered data creates confused AI agents and underwhelmed customers. But when you apply discipline to your data foundation, your AI agents can deliver the kind of personalized, intelligent service that creates customer loyalty. Here are three steps to building a unified data foundation that consistently delivers on the promise of AI.

Bad data costs companies nearly $13 million: 5 ways to stop the bleeding 

Feeding your AI high-quality data sounds easy — until you try it. The thought of keeping millions of records clean, compliant, and efficient can be overwhelming. And yet, this is essential work for any team that wants to stay competitive and feed their AI the best insights. You gotta start somewhere. These five steps (first up, governance) will help you make sure your data is AI-ready. 

The (not-so-hidden) key to trustworthy AI 

AI is brilliant, but many businesses don’t yet fully trust it. The problem isn’t the models, but their lack of context. The secret to building truly reliable AI lies in your own enterprise knowledge, the collective intelligence buried in internal documents like emails, PDFs, and customer interactions. This vast, often untapped trove of unstructured data accounts for the majority of all enterprise information. Here are four reasons why this data is the cornerstone of trustworthy AI. 

This newsletter was curated by Lisa DiCarlo Lee, Contributing Editor, Salesforce.