Haypp Group Highlights AI's Potential and Governance Challenges for Nicotine Industry at 2026 American Tobacco and Nicotine Forum

CEO Gavin O'Dowd calls for bespoke AI tools, early regulatory engagement, and disciplined limits on agentic AI at the leading annual conference

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Haypp Group, parent company of Nicokick.com and Northerner.com, participated in the American Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (ATNF), held April 20-22, in Ashburn, Virginia.

Haypp Group was represented by three senior leaders across the conference's programming. CEO Gavin O'Dowd joined the opening-day panel, "Innovation in Science: Harnessing AI & Creating New Approaches to Advance Product Research & Applications," alongside scientists, researchers, and industry executives. Laura Leigh Oyler, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, contributed to the April 21 panel titled “State & Local Policy Impacts on Harm Reduction.” Issa Abuaita, Head of Legal (US), moderated the April 21 panel, “Building Lasting Regulatory Reforms: Solutions for a Better PMTA Pathway.”

Speaking on the opening panel, O'Dowd framed artificial intelligence as a governance and insight tool for a heavily regulated product category.

"AI should not be a shortcut around regulation or responsibility," O'Dowd said. "Used well, it can help our industry move faster on the right problems: understanding adult smokers and adult nicotine consumers, improving age-verification and compliance, and generating better evidence for regulators. The opportunity is not simply to personalize messages; it is to build systems that help more adults make informed choices while strengthening protections against youth access."

O'Dowd also pointed to the scale of AI investment across the technology sector, noting that major U.S. companies have announced plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on compute capacity in 2026 alone. For regulated industries, he said, the pace of investment makes it important to develop responsible standards for AI now, rather than react after systems are already in the market.

The Case for Industry-Built Tools

O'Dowd discussed the limits of off-the-shelf AI platforms for a category as specialized and regulated as nicotine. Unlike industries with decades of consumer data to train models, the oral nicotine category is still relatively new and requires tools that are trained, tested, and monitored against category-specific data and compliance requirements.

“The category cannot simply import generic AI and hope it understands our obligations,” O’Dowd continued. “We need tools built around the data we actually have, the regulatory standards we must meet, and the responsibility we have — restricting access to adult consumers 21 and over. In a category with high compliance stakes, governance has to be part of the architecture.”

He said Haypp's machine-learning capabilities have advanced to the point where the company can generate probability scores on a product's likely success before a single unit is sold. The company views these tools as decision-support systems, not as substitutes for human review in areas such as marketing, compliance, and consumer-facing claims.

The Limits of Agentic AI for Regulated Categories

O'Dowd also addressed the risks posed by agentic AI systems capable of taking autonomous, multi-step actions, particularly in areas involving compliance and youth-access prevention.

"The most fundamental challenge we're facing as an industry is to keep these products out of the hands of underage users," he said. "Agentic AI isn't ready for regulated categories, and as an industry, we can't let it get ahead of itself. When underage consumption is on the line, the moral stakes are too high to move fast and figure it out later.”

O'Dowd called for early engagement between the industry and regulators to ensure that agentic AI does not outpace the safeguards needed for responsible deployment and to prevent youth access. He described this as an immediate priority, distinct from longer-term questions about AI's ultimate trajectory.

Across the AI panel and broader conference programming, Haypp Group reinforced its focus on responsible retailing, regulatory engagement, youth-access prevention, and science-based discussion around modern smokeless alternatives for adult consumers. The company's participation reflected its ongoing commitment to constructive policy dialogue and compliant innovation as emerging technologies reshape the industry.

About Haypp Group

Haypp Group is leading the global shift from smoking to oral nicotine products. With roots in the pioneering smoke-free alternative markets of Scandinavia, Haypp uses its regulatory expertise and e-commerce leadership to bring compelling value to over 1.1 million consumers. Operating through eleven distinct e-commerce brands, the Group is active across six countries in Europe and the USA. Haypp Group's e-commerce sites in the U.S. are: Nicokick.com and Northerner.com.

About Nicokick

Nicokick.com is the leading U.S. online retailer of nicotine pouches, offering more than 300 smoke-free, tobacco-leaf-free products from well-known and emerging brands. As a responsible retailer, Nicokick upholds a strict age and identity verification process that ensures all orders are bought and shipped to verified adults, 21 and over. For more information, visit https://nicokick.com/us.

About Northerner

Founded in 1998, Northerner.com has grown to become one of the world’s largest online retailers of nicotine pouches. Its U.S. platform features 300+ modern tobacco leaf-free products from leading and emerging brands. Dedicated to responsible retailing, Northerner uses robust age and identity verification before allowing any transaction on site. For more information, visit www.northerner.com.