As organizations adopt AI, Sohil Parekh identifies five questions that help prepare the workforce for AI leadership taken from a panel discussion featuring leaders from the tech industry, academia, and government.
This Thursday, I attended a Leadership Forum on AI & the Workforce at BCG’s Boston offices. The centerpiece of the event was a panel discussion featuring leaders from industry (e.g. Google, IBM, Takeda), academia (e.g. WPI) and government (e.g. Commonwealth of Massachusetts) – all wrestling with one central question:
What will it take for Massachusetts to lead on AI?
Per the MassVision2050 report (July 2025), the long-term stakes are high. Today:
55% of core skills could face moderate to severe disruption from AI (for registered nurses, that number is 73%)
Massachusetts only retains 40% of the AI talent it educates (compared to 80% of peer states)
Neighboring states are out-investing us (e.g. NY launched Empire AI with a $500m investment – 5x of MA)
My takeaways – from the discussion and my reading of The Widening AI Value Gap (BCG, Oct 2025) – detailed below.
If your organization – like Massachusetts – aspires to prime its workforce for long-term AI leadership, it must address the following 5 questions:
Key points include:
- Overcoming fear of adoption
- Where to focus efforts
- What teams need to learn
Read the article, 5 Questions for Organizations – and their Teams – aspiring to Lead on AI, on LinkedIn.