Move Beyond the Hype & Make Strategic Decisions around AI Adoption

This session will be lead by EMC’s AI Learning Partners Evermore AI (Folks that deliver EMC’s AI Workshops)
As Canadian manufacturers navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, the gap between headline promises and shop-floor reality continues to widen. This presentation offers a practical framework for manufacturing leaders seeking to move beyond the hype and make strategic decisions about AI adoption.

A critical distinction is drawn between buying AI and investing in AI. Purchasing another subscription is easy, but it only adds cost. Investing in sovereign infrastructure, data ownership, and workforce capability builds lasting organizational value. The difference between return on cost and return on investment is where manufacturing leaders need to focus their attention.

Grounded in hands-on experience training hundreds of Canadian manufacturers, the presentation outlines three pillars of AI readiness: workforce intelligence, strategic intelligence, and data intelligence. Real-world case studies demonstrate how manufacturers are already turning AI capability into business impact without large vendor contracts or multi-year commitments.

The core message is clear: train your people first, start with crawl-walk-run experimentation, and build internal capacity that pays dividends for the long term.