Artificial intelligence is changing how work gets done, but for many organizations, the bigger challenge is no longer whether to use AI. It is how to adopt it in ways that create real business value, reshape work thoughtfully, and scale responsibly. For leaders, that means moving beyond experimentation and asking harder questions about where AI matters, what problems it should solve, and what organizational changes it requires.
This was the focus of Ivey Impact Live: AI at Work: Don’t just use it – Lead it. Moderated by Fredrik Odegaard, Associate Professor of Management Science at the Ivey Business School, the webinar featured Michael Pelosi, Country Manager for Canada at Cohere, and Melissa Hartwick, Principal at Boston Consulting Group. Both Ivey AI Fellows, they explored how organizations can move from scattered pilots to more disciplined adoption by aligning AI efforts with business strategy, workforce needs, and governance.
Drawing on practical examples and experience from across industries, the panel challenged leaders to start with outcomes rather than tools. The discussion emphasized that the greatest opportunity often lies not in automating isolated tasks, but in redesigning work, improving decision making, and enabling new forms of value creation. It also underscored that job change, reskilling, and workforce adaptation are central to the AI conversation, not secondary to it.
The conversation also made clear that responsible AI adoption depends on more than technical capability alone. From setting clear priorities and measuring return on investment to building governance, trust, and operating discipline early, the session highlighted what it takes to turn AI from a promising experiment into a sustained organizational advantage.
