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Harnessing AI Through Gen AI Centers of Excellence

Harnessing AI Through Gen AI Centers of Excellence

Last updated on: April 17, 2026 at 11:04 am by Gleb Tsipursky

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Harnessing AI Through Gen AI Centers of Excellence 2026-04-17T11:04:16-04:00 Gleb Tsipursky

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AI Center of Excellence

Learning About AI Best Practices

The first step in the journey towards effective use of generative AI is to look outward. Companies that have already integrated AI into their operations can serve as valuable case studies. These pioneers have navigated the challenges of implementation, and their successes and failures provide a roadmap for others to follow.

For instance, a number of companies report having marketing teams using AI to generate creative content, while the sales team uses it to predict customer behavior. By identifying these practices, companies can consolidate their efforts and create a unified strategy for AI usage.

The second prong of this approach involves looking inward. Companies must understand how their own employees are already using generative AI. This internal audit can reveal surprising insights about the company’s current AI capabilities and areas for improvement. This internal exploration is not just about finding existing uses of AI, but also about encouraging employees to come forward with their ideas and experiences. This can foster a culture of innovation and make the integration of AI a company-wide endeavor.

However, it’s at this step that I most often see problems in companies for which I consult on integrating AI into their workflow. Initial evidence suggests that AI can significantly boost personal efficiency for individual employees by anywhere from 20% to 70% for many tasks, with the quality of output surpassing that of tasks completed without AI assistance. This is a testament to the transformative power of AI when used as a personal productivity tool, especially when operated by someone within their area of expertise.

It’s important to note that the current state of AI primarily enhances individual productivity rather than organizational productivity as a whole, as highl ighted by Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This is because AI, in its current form, makes for rather unpredictable software. It can be inconsistent, prone to error, and generally doesn’t behave in the way that traditional IT is expected to behave. As a result, AI doesn’t scale well in its current state.

But don’t let this deter you. The key is to recognize the potential of AI as a personal productivity tool and to harness this potential within your organization. By doing so, you can empower your employees, improve efficiency, and pave the way for the future integration of AI on a larger scale. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect it to become more reliable and scalable, eventually becoming an integral part of organizational productivity.

Establishing an AI Center of Excellence

Once a company has gathered this information, the next step is to establish a Center of Excellence for using Generative AI. My clients found the most success when this center was co-led by a team from IT, who can handle the technical aspects of AI, and HR, who can oversee learning and development.

The Center of Excellence serves as a hub for AI-related activities within the company. It provides guidance, sets best practices, and ensures that all departments are aligned in their use of AI. This centralized approach ensures that AI is used effectively and ethically throughout the company. Moreover, the Center of Excellence can also serve as a platform for continuous learning and development, keeping the company up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI.

But what makes a Center of Excellence truly successful? There are several guiding principles that underpin its operation, each of which can be applied specifically to the integration of generative AI.

Firstly, the Center of Excellence should have a clear vision and mission. This includes defining the strategic objectives of the center and how it aligns with the overall business strategy. For instance, if a company’s strategy is to leverage generative AI for content creation, the center’s mission could be to develop and implement best practices for using AI in this area.

Secondly, the Center of Excellence should foster collaboration and communication across the organization. It should act as a bridge between different departments, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and best practices. For example, if the marketing team is using generative AI to create content, their insights and experiences could be shared with other departments through the Center of Excellence.

Thirdly, the Center of Excellence should focus on continuous improvement. This involves regularly reviewing and refining its processes and practices to ensure they remain effective and relevant. In the context of generative AI, this could involve staying abreast of the latest AI technologies and updating the company’s practices accordingly.

Lastly, the Center of Excellence should be committed to promoting a culture of learning and development. This includes providing training and resources to employees to enhance their AI skills and knowledge. For example, the center could offer workshops on using generative AI tools, or provide resources for self-learning.

Establishing a Center of Excellence is a critical step in harnessing the power of generative AI. By adhering to these guiding principles, companies can ensure that their center is effective, relevant, and capable of driving AI integration across the organization.

The Ultimate Goal: Serving Business Operations through an AI Center of Excellence

The ultimate goal of this two-pronged approach and the establishment of a Center of Excellence is to serve business operations. Generative AI has the potential to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and drive innovation. By learning from others, understanding internal usage, and establishing a centralized hub for AI, companies can harness this potential and transform their operations.

The Center of Excellence plays a pivotal role in this transformation. It serves as the nerve center of the company’s AI initiatives, guiding the integration of generative AI into business operations. Whether it’s using AI to automate routine tasks, generate creative content, or predict market trends, the Center of Excellence ensures that these initiatives align with the company’s strategic objectives and adhere to best practices.

For instance, if a company wants to use generative AI to streamline its customer service operations, the Center of Excellence could develop a roadmap for this initiative. This could involve identifying the best AI tools for the job, training customer service staff on how to use these tools, and setting up a system for monitoring and improving the AI’s performance.

Moreover, the Center of Excellence also plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. It keeps the company up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI, encourages employees to explore new ways of using AI, and promotes a culture of experimentation and risk-taking. This culture of innovation is key to harnessing the full potential of generative AI and staying ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

The journey towards effective use of generative AI may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can lead to unprecedented growth and success. So, take the leap, look outward and inward, establish your Center of Excellence, and watch as AI propels your business into the future. Remember, the future of business is not just about adopting new technologies, but about understanding them, integrating them effectively, and using them to drive operational excellence. The Center of Excellence is your guide on this journey, leading the way towards a future powered by generative AI.

Key Take-Away

Establishing an AI center of excellence centralizes best practices, fosters collaboration, and drives continuous learning, enabling organizations to harness generative AI for operational efficiency and innovation… >Click to tweet

Image credit: ChatGPT

Originally published in Disaster Avoidance Experts

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. He wrote the first book on returning to the office and leading hybrid teams after the pandemic, his best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams, as well as seven other books. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles in prominent venues such as Harvard Business Review,Fortune, and Fast Company. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox and over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Business, Finance and Religion

Decision Making

Leadership

AI Center of Excellence

About Dr. Gleb Tsipursky

Known as the Disaster Avoidance Expert, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases, which devastate bottom lines and bring down high-flying careers. His expertise and passion is developing the most effective and profitable decision-making strategies, based on pragmatic business experience and cutting-edge behavioral economics and cognitive neuroscience, to empower leaders to avoid business disasters and maximize their bottom lines. You can learn more here https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/glebtsipursky/ The bestselling author of several books, Dr. Tsipursky is best known for his national bestseller on avoiding disasters and achieving success in business and other life areas, The Truth Seeker’s Handbook: A Science-Based Guide. His next book, Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters, is forthcoming with Career Press in November 2019. It’s the first book to focus on cognitive biases in business leadership and reveal how leaders can overcome these dangerous judgment errors effectively. After that he’s publishing The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships with New Harbinger in April 2020, the first book to focus on cognitive biases in professional and personal relationships and illustrate how we can defeat these dangerous judgment errors in our relationships. See more information here https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/author-page/ Dr. Tsipursky’s cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 400 articles he published and over 350 interviews he gave to popular venues that include Fast Company, CBS News, Time, Scientific American, Psychology Today, The Conversation, Business Insider, Government Executive, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Inc. Magazine, and many others, as you can see here https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/media/ Dr. Tsipursky's expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, speaking, and training for businesses and nonprofits. He serves as the CEO of the boutique consulting, coaching, and training firm Disaster Avoidance Experts, which uses a proprietary methodology based on groundbreaking research to help leaders and organizations maximize their bottom lines by addressing potential threats, seizing unexpected opportunities, and resolving persistent personnel problems. His clients include Aflac, Balance Employment Assistance Provider, Edison Welding Institute, Fifth Third Bank, Honda, IBM, International Coaches Federation, Ohio Hospitals Association, National Association of Women Business Owners, Sentinel Real Estate, The Society for Human Resource Management, RealManage, The Columbus Foundation, Vistage, Wells Fargo, the World Wildlife Fund, and over a hundred others who achieve outstanding client results. You can learn more about that here: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/about Dr. Tsipursky also has a strong research and teaching background in behavioral economics and cognitive neuroscience with over 15 years in academia, including 7 years as a professor at the Ohio State University and before that a Fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His dozens of peer-reviewed academic publications include journals such as Behavior and Social Issues, Journal of Social and Political Psychology, and International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy. His civic service includes over 4 years as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Intentional Insights, an educational nonprofit advocating for research-based decision-making in all life areas. He also co-founded the Pro-Truth Pledge, a civic project to promote truthfulness and integrity for individual professionals and leaders in the same way that the Better Business Bureau serves as a commitment for businesses. He serves on the Advisory Board of Canonical Debate Lab and Planet Purpose, and is on the Editorial Board of the peer-reviewed journal Behavior and Social Issues. A highly in-demand international speaker, Dr. Tsipursky has over two decades of professional speaking experience across North America, Europe, and Australia. He gets top marks from audiences for his highly facilitative, interactive, and humor-filled speaking style and the way he thoroughly customizes speeches for diverse audiences. Meeting planners describe Dr. Tsipursky as "very relatable," as "a snap to work with," and as someone who "does everything that you would want a speaker to do." Drawing on best practices in adult learning, his programs address the wide spectrum of diverse learning styles, as attested by enthusiastic client testimonials and references. He regularly shares the stage with prominent leaders, for example recently speaking on a roundtable panel with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Elhadj As Sy, Chancellor of Austria Brigitte Bierlein, CEO of Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, and billionaire philanthropist and Chair of the Bertelsmann Management Company Liz Mohn. You can learn more about his speaking and see videos here: https://disasteravoidanceexperts.com/speaking/ Dr. Tsipursky earned his PhD in the History of Behavioral Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011, his M.A. at Harvard University in 2004, and his B.A. at New York University in 2002. He lives in and travels from Columbus, OH. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, hiking, and playing with his two cats, and most importantly, he makes sure to spend abundant quality time with his wife to avoid disasters in his personal life. Learn more about him at https://DisasterAvoidanceExperts.com/GlebTsipursky, contact him at Gleb[at]DisasterAvoidanceExperts[dot]com, follow him on Instagram @dr_gleb_tsipursky and Twitter @gleb_tsipursky. Most importantly, help yourself avoid disasters and maximize success, and get a free copy of the “Assessment on Dangerous Judgment Errors in the Workplace,” by signing up for his free Wise Decision Maker Course at https:// DisasterAvoidanceExperts.com/Subscribe You can read more about the author here.

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