AI Needs Clinical Trials: Harvard's Findings on Democratization | Karim R. Lakhani | TEDxBoston
Harvard Business School professor Karim Lakhani shares groundbreaking research on AI's impact in the workplace through rigorous "clinical trials" at major organizations like BCG and Procter & Gamble. These studies reveal how AI fundamentally transforms work by lowering the cost of expertise—enabling average performers to reach 95th percentile levels and giving individuals access to cross-disciplinary knowledge previously requiring entire teams. The talk presents evidence of AI's evolution from tool to teammate while warning of the widening gap between AI's exponential capabilities and organizations' linear adoption rates. Leaders will learn a practical four-step framework to harness AI's potential while avoiding the pitfalls of misapplication in their strategic decision-making.AI, Business, Creativity, Data Science, Economics, Intelligence, Machine Learning, Management, Social Science, Technology Karim R. Lakhani is the Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and founding chair of the Digital, Data & Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard. He also leads the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard. An expert on technological innovation and AI strategy, Karim has published over 150 scholarly works and pioneered field experiments in innovation. His research explores how analytics and AI reshape business models, and he co-authored the award-winning book Competing in the Age of AI (2020). He developed Harvard’s MBA required course on Data Science and AI for Leaders and six online courses taken by thousands of executives. Karim advises top firms and startups, serves on the boards of VideaHealth and Cloudflare, and is a co-founder of Aspire Institute. He holds degrees from MIT and McMaster University and previously worked at GE Healthcare and The Boston Consulting Group. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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