The Real Value of AI Comes When It Reliably Gets the Job Done

The rise of artificial intelligence is increasingly raising questions about control over data, infrastructure and business processes, rather than simply choosing the most advanced model. “The real value of AI does not come when a model answers a question, but when it reliably completes a task and delivers a result that justifies the investment,” Marko Dagelić, CEO of Datum, tells ICTbusiness Media – ICTbusiness.biz. Datum is developing a model that combines computing resources, cloud environments, an AI platform and agents, with its partnership with DataBox providing a foundation in domestic infrastructure. In this interview, Dagelić explains the difference between storing data in Croatia or the European Union and achieving genuine operational independence from a particular technology provider. He also discusses practical applications of agentic automation, from WhatsApp bookings to business document processing, alongside security and human accountability. The conversation addresses GPU system costs, energy availability, capacity utilization and the conditions under which investment in AI data centers can be sustainable. For Croatian technology companies, he sees an opportunity in combining infrastructure, systems integration expertise and regional demand, rather than trying to compete head-on with the world's largest platforms.