42: The AI Revolution in Elections Is Already Here (with Kelly Ann Bakhos)

AI Product Leader

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THE GUEST

Kelly-Ann Bakhos is a dynamic product leader with a diverse career spanning healthcare, retail, gaming, data analytics, and election systems. She has led high-performing teams, driving innovation in data governance, AI-driven analytics, and user experience. With leadership roles at renowned companies such as EBSCO Information Services and Riot Games, she excels at integrating AI to enhance decision-making and automate workflows. Continuously pushing the boundaries of product development and leadership, Kelly-Ann is also a passionate advocate for the positive impact of responsible AI.

THE SUMMARY

Data Governance as a Revenue Driver: Kelly argues that data governance isn't just about compliance—it's a critical enabler of speed, trust, and revenue. Without clarity on metrics or confidence in definitions, decisions slow down or misfire. True governance allows teams to move fast because the foundations are solid.

From Games to Government: Kelly's career spans gaming and now election systems. At Riot Games, she saw the power of AI in action. Now, she's applying that mindset to design a transparent, AI-enhanced election system for Los Angeles County—where governance and public trust are everything.

AI in Elections—With Guardrails: AI can support secure elections without compromising integrity. Kelly explores use cases like signature verification and summarising voter guides—but always ensures human oversight, audit trails, and full transparency to build public trust.

Getting Into AI: Play, Don’t Just Study: Her advice to AI newcomers? Treat AI tools like video games—play with them daily, explore workflows, and learn through doing. The #1 skill? Fearless tool adoption. It's not about being perfect—it's about being willing to dive in and figure things out.

THE SHOW

Weekly conversations with the AI’s top product leaders. Join Polly Allen as she discovers the paths to success in the world of AI.

THE LINKS

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Kelly-Ann Bakhos

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-bakhos-205690a/

My links

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollymallen/⁠

AI Career Boost: ⁠https://www.aicareerboost.com/⁠