{"id":15218,"date":"2026-03-11T09:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T09:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/?p=15218"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:26:46","slug":"dan-paraschiv-country-manager-softserve-romania-physical-ai-represents-a-fundamental-shift-in-how-machines-integrate-intelligence-and-adaptability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/?p=15218","title":{"rendered":"&#x1f399;&#xfe0f;Dan Paraschiv, Country Manager, SoftServe Romania: Physical AI represents a fundamental shift in how machines integrate intelligence and adaptability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul><li><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">There is no doubt that AI is about transformation; it\u2019s not just a tool \u2014 and we are only at the very beginning of this transformational journey. I think many business leaders are still skeptical about AI, viewing it as a trend that will eventually fade, while others, on the contrary, expect rapid progress and immediate business impact.<\/span><\/li><li><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">At its core, physical AI bridges the gap between the data-centric technologies associated with artificial intelligence and the necessities entailed in leveraging physical robots in real production environments.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Outsourcing Today<\/span>, the business services industry\u2019s integrated networking and news platform, continues its interview series with leaders shaping the future of business services and related sectors. We explore key perspectives on the year ahead, strategic priorities, and growth opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read below the key standpoints and perspectives of&nbsp;<span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Dan Paraschiv, Country Manager, SoftServe Romania<\/span><\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">How are AI-based technologies changing your company\u2019s competitive edge in 2026?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SoftServe is a tech company, and deep engineering expertise has always been our core strength. We have been working with artificial intelligence for many years, and with the rapid evolution of generative and agentic AI, we quickly adopted these technologies \u2014 integrating them both into our service portfolio and into our internal operations to create a more efficient working environment, optimize processes, and rethink software development in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2023, we have been consolidating our AI efforts into a dedicated strategic direction \u2014 the Gen AI Lab. Today, hundreds of engineers across our R&amp;D, Data Science, and Robotics teams are building AI-powered solutions for clients, combining advanced technology skills, fundamental engineering knowledge, and the latest AI capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This gives us a strong competitive advantage globally: years of experience delivering solutions across industries and niche domains \u2014 now amplified by AI. We are already seeing tangible results. AI-based services are currently the fastest-growing segment in our portfolio, with an 85% year-over-year increase, and agentic systems are seeing the highest demand from clients. Over the past two years, our Gen AI Lab team has delivered more than 200 AI-powered solutions for over 100 clients worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">What\u2019s the biggest misconception business leaders still have about AI?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no doubt that AI is about transformation; it\u2019s not just a tool \u2014 and we are only at the very beginning of this transformational journey. I think many business leaders are still skeptical about AI, viewing it as a trend that will eventually fade, while others, on the contrary, expect rapid progress and immediate business impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the PwC 29th Global CEO Survey, only 12% of CEOs have successfully reduced costs and increased revenue through AI so far. This is still a very small portion of business leaders. Implementing AI effectively in business requires sustained and structured effort \u2014 from defining a long-term vision and AI strategy, to step-by-step change planning, rethinking processes and functions, working with large volumes of data, and ensuring proper engagement and communication with employees. At SoftServe, we have already started this journey, and I can confidently say that it is not a fast process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Which business decisions in your company are AI-led?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to decision-making, I strongly believe this should remain a human responsibility \u2014 and that is exactly how we operate in our company. The final call, whether in leadership or hiring, always belongs to a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, AI is a powerful enabler. It supports decision-making by analyzing large volumes of data, generating reports and meaningful summaries, conducting market research, performing competitive comparisons, and preparing structured insights. Leaders across different levels use these capabilities to make more informed and faster decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is how I personally, as well as many of my colleagues, use AI tools today \u2014 and it works extremely well. AI clearly accelerates the decision-making process without replacing human judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in processes such as recruitment, where AI can screen candidates or filter applicants based on predefined criteria, I would describe its role as analytical and preparatory. While it may appear that AI is making decisions, it is, in fact, structuring information and narrowing options \u2014 with the final hiring decision always remaining with the manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">How has AI changed what customers expect from your products or services?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Solving specific business challenges, reducing costs, and optimizing processes have always been core client priorities \u2014 and this continues to define AI-driven projects today. The objectives have not changed; what has evolved is the speed and efficiency with which we can address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of the solutions themselves \u2014 particularly AI agents, which are currently the most in demand \u2014 development has become significantly faster. The underlying logic of agents is largely similar, allowing us to reuse existing developments and more easily adapt, scale, and experiment across different business needs, use cases, and industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, this progress is closely tied to how we organize delivery. We are actively embedding AI toolsets into our SDLC processes to optimize routine project tasks. This increases team productivity and accelerates delivery while maintaining quality, ultimately creating tangible value both for our teams and for our clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">How do you stay differentiated in your market, what tools and competitive advantages do you leverage in 2026?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of our key differentiators is our approach to client partnerships. We focus on building long-term relationships \u2014 some of our clients have been working with us for 10, 15, or even 20 years. These strong, sustainable collaborations create real value for both sides. The same applies to our technology partners. We work closely with Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft \u2014 and, with the growing AI focus, also with NVIDIA. We have built a robust learning framework around NVIDIA technologies, introducing four technical certification tracks for engineers as well as a dedicated learning program for business leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another defining strength of our company is, of course, our people. For many years, we have consistently invested in continuous learning and professional development \u2014 encouraging employees to master new technologies, improve language and presentation skills, and earn advanced technical certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2025, more than 800 specialists achieved professional technical certifications through our internal educational ecosystem. One of our colleagues in Romania, a DevOps engineer, earned one of the highest certification counts in the company. Continuous learning enables both individuals and teams to maintain a high professional standard and stay current with the latest tech and non-tech skills. Our expertise is recognized across the industry &#8211; by our partners as well as by independent bodies such as Gartner, which included us in its Magic Quadrant report in 2023 and 2024, naming us a Challenger for Custom Software Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">How do you balance rapid innovation with responsible and ethical AI use?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both in usage and in development, ethics and responsibility play a critical role. For us, this is not optional \u2014 it is a fundamental principle that guides how we approach AI across the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have established several internal policies that clearly define how AI should be used internally and how AI-based products must be developed. These policies set the framework for responsible implementation and ensure consistency in the way AI solutions are created and applied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, our specialists and management teams regularly participate in dedicated training sessions focused on ethical and responsible AI, as well as on the safe development and deployment of services. At SoftServe, we are committed to ethical, secure, and high-quality AI development, grounded in transparency, fairness, and accountability, while minimizing bias in all AI systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">What technology trend beyond AI should businesses be paying attention to now?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to execution. Gartner forecasts an 80% surge in GenAI spending in 2026, while many other industry studies show a large portion of tech leaders looking to scale AI and automation initiatives across their organizations. From multimodal systems to sophisticated multiagent architectures, the pace of evolution is accelerating \u2014 and 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Physical AI is emerging as one of the core developments. The advancements in this technology are more than a step forward for automation; they represent a fundamental shift in how machines integrate intelligence and adaptability. By merging AI technologies with physical robotic systems, physical AI enables robots to perceive, think, and interact with their environments dynamically. At its core, physical AI bridges the gap between the data-centric technologies associated with artificial intelligence and the necessities entailed in leveraging physical robots in real production environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, at SoftServe, on one client project, humanoid robots are trained in digital twins of warehouse facilities, where they learn to move, manipulate objects, and respond to dynamic environmental changes before ever entering the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But these breakthroughs don\u2019t happen in isolation. High-performing AI systems rely on strong infrastructure, early-stage security integration, and high-quality data. As a result, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Big Data remain at the center of enterprise investment strategies \u2014 and will continue to grow as essential pillars of any digitalized business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no doubt that AI is about transformation; it\u2019s not just a tool \u2014 and we are only at the very beginning of this transformational journey. I think many business leaders are still skeptical about AI, viewing it as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,18,871,6,3,8,5,17,317],"tags":[1139],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15218"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15218"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15427,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15218\/revisions\/15427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/outsourcing-today.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}