On August 25-26th I had the pleasure of attending the McLane Engage event in Dallas.
The program included a thought-provoking keynote on AI from Sol Rashidi, sharing her experience as the world’s first AI officer, and currently Senior Fellow at Harvard, CSO AI & Data at Cyera, and CDAO & AI Advisor at Deloitte. Her message was both exciting and cautionary: AI has enormous potential, but the real competitive advantage will come from how we use it, not simply from using it more.
Four AI takeaways that stood out:
1 AI can augment and anticipate efficiency.
AI can do far more than automate repetitive tasks. It can help organizations anticipate needs, identify opportunities and make processes more efficient. The opportunity is to move from simply reacting to what is happening to anticipating what comes next.
2 Never outsource critical thinking to AI.
This was perhaps the most important warning. If we allow AI to do all of our thinking, our ability to think critically can deteriorate. AI should be a powerful partner but human judgment still needs to be in the driver’s seat.
3 Use AI to amplify creativity and critical thinking.
Rather than viewing AI simply as a productivity tool, we should use it to expand what people are capable of doing. The best applications may be those that help teams generate more ideas, challenge assumptions, see patterns, and arrive at better decisions.
4 Measure effectiveness and value — not simply “more.”
One of Sol’s observations that particularly resonated with me was the distinction between productivity and effectiveness. Doing more does not necessarily mean creating more value. As AI enables us to accomplish tasks faster, the more important questions become: Are we doing the right things? Are we creating better outcomes? And are we delivering greater value to the customer?
The day when “using AI” becomes irrelevant
Another intriguing observation came during a technology and AI panel featuring Tanya Coutray, McLane’s VP CIDO Retail; Sid Kulkarni, VP data & AI, and Yasaswi Pulvarti, VP customer care.
The panel suggested that “using AI” will soon disappear from our vocabulary because it will simply be assumed.
Think about how we talk about taking a photograph. We don’t say, “Take a photo using your smartphone.” We simply say, “Take a photo.” The technology enabling it is understood.
According to this panel, AI is likely headed in the same direction. Soon, we may not talk about whether a retailer, supplier, or technology company is “using AI.” AI will simply be embedded in the tools we use, the decisions we make, and the customer experiences we create.
What does this mean for convenience retail?
AI has the potential to influence virtually every part of the convenience ecosystem from merchandising, pricing and promotions to inventory, forecasting, foodservice, customer engagement, labor optimization, and supplier relationships.
But the winners won’t necessarily be the companies with the most AI. They will be the companies that know where AI can create meaningful value and where human experience, judgment, creativity, and relationships remain irreplaceable.
The conversation is quickly moving beyond “Should we use AI?” to a much more important question: “How can we use AI to make better decisions, create better experiences and deliver greater value?”
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