Like the printing press, steam engine, and electricity of previous eras, artificial
intelligence (AI) is poised to become one of the most consequential general-purpose
technologies the world has ever seen—one that will radically transform business, government,
and society.
In this executive sprint, three top University of Waterloo faculty experts will provide
aspiring and seasoned executives with an opportunity to consider the magnitude of
the potential changes AI will bring to business and government. By navigating through
four logically flowing virtual sessions, you will develop a better understanding of
the disruptive potential of AI, how it fits into the long arc of technological change,
and how this time is different.
As AI technology advances and matures, organizations face growing challenges around its integration and adoption. This course is regularly updated to address the latest realities and changing dynamics in the world of AI.
“AI will transform your business and organization. Exactly how and when, and what questions you need to ask were great unknowns. This program positions you and your people
to be better able to navigate the storm that is coming and turn it into an opportunity,"
said an instructor for AI and Business Strategy.
In this course, you will also develop greater awareness and appreciation for how generative
AI technologies are transforming organizational functions and processes—as well as
catalyzing product and service innovations at breathtaking speed—while recognizing
important ethical issues that need to be addressed. Looking ahead, you will come to
better appreciate how the AI landscape is evolving and the implications this will
have for the future of work and organizational strategy at large.
WatSPEED has been approved by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) to issue contact
hours and PDUs for our courses. This course provides 3 Power Skills hours and 3 Business Acumen hours for the Talent Triangle ® for a total
of 6 hours
The "PMI Talent Triangle" and the PMI Talent Triangle image are marks of the Project
Management Institute, Inc.
Senior leaders who wish to understand how AI is reshaping businesses, industries,
and government organizations.
Functional leaders from marketing, operations, HR, and finance who wish to understand
the potential for harnessing AI applications in their work environments.
Government administrators seeking opportunities to improve operational processes and
service innovations.
Entrepreneurs who wish to leverage AI services to drive innovation and competitiveness.
Consultants and business analysts who wish to further understand the application potential
of generative AI technologies for different industries.
Session 1: AI and the Changing Strategy Landscape
Understand the basics of AI and why it is poised to become a general-purpose technology
that will radically transform business, government, and society.
Identify ethical issues related to AI including trust, bias and fairness, data privacy,
transparency, and accountability.
Introduce the 3Rs model of “replace, reimagine, and recombine” as a framework for
rethinking processes, product and service innovations, new business models, and strategies.
Session 2: The Disruptive Power of Generative AI
Explore how large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, can be used to improve business
functions, processes, and innovations across the enterprise.
Discover how different industries are harnessing generative AI imaging applications
to increase organizational performance and competitiveness.
Apply the “replace, reimagine, recombine” model using generative AI as a foundation
for rethinking processes, products and service innovations, and business models.
Session 3: The Future of AI and its Strategic Implications
Investigate the big players and trends shaping the future of AI, as well as the potential
impact of novel AI applications.
Consider the future of work in an increasingly AI-driven world and the implications
it will have for organizational culture, talent development, and recruiting efforts.
Synthesize and situate key learning points from the program in the context of your
organization’s strategy and operations.
Session 4: Leading Organizations in an AI Age
Plan for successful organization change that considers the needs, emotions, and motivations
of your people.
Craft narratives and communications that support and enable your strategic objectives.
Engage the contributions and participation of everyone in solving problems and overcoming
obstacles that are unavoidable in large-scale, systemic change.
This executive sprint offers multiple modes of learning that will allow you to get
up-to-speed quickly on how AI is set to radically transform business, government,
and society. This includes:
90-minute live sessions, taking place via Zoom on Wednesdays from 12 - 1:30 p.m. ET,
comprised of short presentations and faculty-guided and peer-led discussions.
Curated readings that will allow you to dig deeper into specific topics of interest.
Action learning thought-starters that will apply the 3R model to your organization
or one with which you are familiar.
Receive a certificate from the University of Waterloo
Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive a professional education
certificate from the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Jimmy Lin
Cheriton Chair, Cheriton School of Computer Science | Co-Director, Waterloo.AI
Dr. Jimmy Lin is a professor and holds the David R. Cheriton Chair in the David R. Cheriton School
of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He also serves as the co-director
of the Waterloo AI Institute, which has the mission to promote cross-disciplinary
research at the frontiers of artificial intelligence and its applications across the
entire campus.
Dr. Lin’s area of research lies at the intersection between natural language processing
and information retrieval. In addition to being one of the most cited artificial intelligence
scholars in the world, he has been frequently and deeply engaged with both the private
and public sectors throughout his career, including an extended sabbatical at Twitter
and visiting positions at the US National Library of Medicine (NLM), part of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH).
He presently serves as the chief technology officer of Primal, a Waterloo-based AI company focused on creating meaning that computers can understand.
Dr. Lin holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT and
is a fellow of the ACM.
Dr. Joël Blit
Chair, Council on Innovation Policy | Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance
Innovation (CIGI)
Dr. Joël Blit is a professor of economics, chair of the Council on Innovation Policy at the University
of Waterloo, and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation
(CIGI). His main research interests are in the economics of innovation and innovation
policy. He studies, among other things, AI, economics and the future of work, the
diffusion of disruptive technologies and their impact on productivity and jobs, as
well as the effect of that intellectual property rights (patents) have on innovation.
Dr. Blit’s most recent work, examining how COVID-19 has transformed the economy through
automation and reallocation, has been featured in numerous media outlets including
The Economist, The Globe and Mail, and CBC.
He has also received numerous research grants from agencies such as SSHRC, NBER, CIBER,
INET, CIGI, the AI Institute at the University of Waterloo.
Prior to joining Waterloo, Dr. Blit was an assistant professor of economics and international
affairs at the George Washington University. He has also been a business consultant
to financial services firms in Asia, Australia, and North America, which has included
formulating the strategy for a $100M USD startup. He holds a BASc Engineering Science
(Toronto), MASc Computer Engineering (Waterloo), MBA (INSEAD), MA Economics (Western),
and PhD Economics (Toronto).
Dr. J. Mark Weber
Special Advisor to the Provost on Leadership Strategy and Development | Professor
of Management and Organizations
Dr. J. Mark Weber is special advisor to the Provost on Leadership Strategy and Development
at the University of Waterloo. Prior to his current role, Mark was the Eyton director
of the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business at Waterloo, the inaugural director
of Waterloo's Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation, and a former faculty member at
the Rotman School of Management and UTM at the University of Toronto. He also taught
courses at Northwestern University, INSEAD, and the Ross School of Business at University
of Michigan.
Dr. Weber is an award-winning teacher and researcher, and his research focuses on
leadership, cooperation, negotiations, decision-making, and trust. He consults extensively
and has provided training to executives and professionals in the automotive, education,
healthcare, pharmaceutical, broadcast media, entertainment, telecommunications, professional
services, and financial services industries, and in government at all levels.
Watch Jimmy and Joël in our ChatGPT webinar
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