Artificial intelligence dominated the keynote sessions at Geotab Connect 2026. But beyond the stage demonstrations and product announcements, a more practical question emerged: what does AI actually mean for fleet managers when they return to work?
For Geotab’s APAC leadership team, the shift is clear. AI is no longer a future concept — it’s becoming an operational tool.
From 100 Billion Data Points to One Simple Question
For years, telematics has been about collecting data. Now the challenge is making it usable.
“We get 100 billion data points through on a daily basis,” said David Brown, Associate Vice President Sales – APAC at Geotab. “So what do I do with that information coming through? How do I make quick decisions in my business?”
Brown explained that the traditional telematics workflow — logging into a portal, building a report, filtering the data and searching for answers — can take time. With AI-powered reporting, that process changes.
“With the AI engine that we have now, you could see very quickly they could put a question into the search and within a matter of seconds you’ve got a report with the details on there and what you’re actually looking for,” he said.
Instead of navigating dashboards, fleet managers can ask direct questions and receive immediate, contextual answers. Brown described it as removing complexity. “You don’t have to be an expert in it to be able to get that.”
Speed to Insight
For Will Batty, Associate Vice President Business Development – APAC at Geotab, the value proposition is speed.
“Geotab ACE really drives speed to insight, which is such a critical thing for a fleet manager,” Batty said. “You’ve got lots of data out there. How can I make sure I’m getting those key data insights at my fingertips?”
He contrasted traditional reporting processes with natural language queries. “With natural language conversation, we can have a direct conversation with our data, get that information, and ensure that we can make those immediate decisions that we need to on the fleet.”
For time-poor fleet managers, that shift from static reports to conversational analytics changes how telematics fits into daily operations.
AI in the Camera — and in the Reporting
AI’s impact isn’t limited to dashboards.
According to Alkan Ciftci, Business Development Manager at Geotab, there are now two layers of AI working together in fleet safety solutions.
“There’s one in the camera that’s noticing that your eyes are down. It might actually see your mobile phone… that’s the AI picking up the actual event,” Ciftci said.
“The second part of AI is in the reporting that you see, which is then collating the events and looking through the events to show those high magnitude offenders and provide coaching insights.”
This dual-AI approach shifts video telematics from simply recording incidents to proactively identifying behavioural patterns and prioritising risk.
Rather than overwhelming managers with event counts, AI surfaces repeat and high-risk behaviours — turning raw footage into structured coaching workflows.
From Data Overload to Predictive Intelligence
For Sean Killen, Senior Vice President at Geotab, the real transformation is what happens when AI is fed at scale.
“The more we can record and dump into the AI, the better the fleet management will become,” Killen said. “We have so much data — there’s finally something that can process it.”
Killen pointed out that AI can analyse patterns in minutes that would take human analysts far longer. “No matter how smart the data scientist, they can’t do what AI can do in five minutes. It’s just not a fair fight.”
That capability moves telematics beyond historical reporting into predictive territory — identifying risk trends before they escalate into incidents.
The Fleet Manager Evolution
The transition from dashboards to decision engines also changes the role of the fleet manager.
Killen acknowledged that not every fleet leader comes from a technology background. “One of the hardest things about selling a big deal is you have this incredible technology, but the person in charge of the fleet is not a technologist in any way at all. They’re a mechanic.”
AI may help bridge that gap. By simplifying complex data into direct answers, it lowers the barrier to advanced analytics and makes insights more accessible across organisations — including finance and executive leadership teams.
Brown reinforced that point. Faster answers mean faster decisions. “They get their answers quicker, which means they’re making the decisions quicker,” he said.
Beyond the Buzzword
AI has been part of fleet industry conversations for years. At Connect 2026, however, the emphasis shifted from aspiration to application.
Whether through natural language reporting, predictive video analytics or faster development cycles, AI is now embedded in day-to-day fleet workflows.
The question is no longer whether fleets will use AI — but how effectively they will integrate it into operational and executive decision-making.
As Brown noted, the opportunity lies in simplicity. AI’s value is not in its complexity, but in its ability to make fleet management clearer, faster and more decisive.
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