On April 10, 2026, six industry leaders traveled to Leeds to discuss ‘Creating AI-enabled professionals’.
Today’s students are entering a job market defined by rapid change, as artificial intelligence reshapes the way we work and hire talent. On 10 April, six industry leaders traveled to Leeds for the school’s second AI Industry Roundtable, this time focusing on ‘Shaping AI’.‑Ready professional. ” Faculty, staff, and students gathered to hear candid thoughts about what the acceleration of AI means for those preparing to enter business and society.
panelists
The photo above is from left to right.
The event, hosted by Leeds faculty members Jeremiah Contreras, Bonnie Auslander and Ozlem Tuva Koç, was part of the school’s broader efforts to help the Leeds community not only understand the growing role of AI across the business environment, but also learn how to work effectively with it.
Across industries and roles, panelists agreed on two central points. That means AI literacy is no longer an option, but a fundamental expectation. And the speed of change is only increasing. “AI is accelerating at an incredible rate,” says Nick Manuzak (Bus’12), entrepreneur-in-residence at CU Venture Partners and vice president of internal consulting at Axos Bank.
Get ready for your career from day one
Leeds is keeping pace with that acceleration, said Leeds Advisory Board member and business school namesake Mike Leeds (Fin’74), who opened the discussion.
“Leeds is growing and strengthening in so many areas and AI is really accelerating our efforts,” he said. “How we do business today matters and our students have the advantage of being able to learn and use AI.” He added that the University of Leeds is intentionally looking for ways to prepare students so that “when they go to work from day one, they are truly ready and employers welcome them.”
“AI is accelerating what we do at Leeds. It’s how we do business today. And our students have the advantage of being able to learn and use AI.”
—Mike Leeds (Fin’74)
The emphasis on preparation reflects what panelists described as a professional reality. Alicia Hines (MBA’18), director of customer success at Knit, said AI is already deeply integrated into her daily work.
“I use AI all day, every day,” she said. “AI is built into our products and the way we work, and many of our clients come to us because they have a mission to do more with less, do more innovative research, use more innovative tools.” To put the “mind-boggling” pace into perspective, she said her company releases new features every two weeks.
do your best
Godard Abel, founder and CEO of G2, expressed similar urgency. His company helps organizations determine the best AI tools for their needs.
“We are fully committed,” Abel said. “Things are changing rapidly and knowledge work is being automated. I tell my employees I don’t have a choice.”
Still, Abel emphasized that AI remains a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. “Like any technology, it can be used for good or bad,” he said. “Humans still have the job of caring and communicating with each other, which AI cannot and will not do.”
Shelley Combs, a UW Boulder alumnus and AI leader at PwC, echoed this sentiment. “I try to use digital technology to enhance the human experience,” she said, positioning AI as a way to amplify human capabilities rather than diminish them.
Google’s Matt Letteriata offered another side, pointing out the environmental realities behind AI adoption. “AI uses a lot of electricity and water,” he says. He strives to help businesses apply AI responsibly and ethically. “The question is: How can we ensure that intelligence pays dividends?” he said.
A place where humans still stand out
While AI is great at speed, pattern recognition, and following instructions, panelists noted its limitations.
Hines explained that in his role, it’s human judgment that negotiates, talks and builds trust. “If we just let AI do all the work, what value can we provide?”
Its value lies in perspective. “AI helps me get to the first draft faster,” Hines says. “But then I added a special sauce. I don’t feel comfortable letting the AI run without my perspective.”
Work, migration, and learning by doing
Concerns about disappearing jobs surfaced throughout the discussion. “Everyone is really concerned about job compression,” Letteragliata said. “But what is overlooked is that while AI can improve outcomes, employees still need to understand the process to get the best outcomes.”
He explained that AI systems still rely on humans to set context. His advice to students was simple and clear: “Be really good at something. Find something you love, learn it, walk through it, work on it, and figure out how it works.”
Eric Jensen, partner at KPMG US, said AI is more of a replacement tool than a replacement. Although recruiting models are changing, he said his company continues to invest in on-campus recruiting rather than relying on lateral recruitment from other professional services firms.
He suggested that AI is reshaping the traditional employment pyramid. He believes that rather than a broad base of entry-level roles supporting management, that base will be flattened – a redistribution of work rather than an elimination of work.
“Let’s repurpose, retrain and retain our workers,” he said, moving from the traditional pyramid to the “Washington Monument.”
The impact of that change may be felt most noticeably outside the United States, he noted. Historically, the broad base of the pyramid often relied on low-wage labor in other countries. “Those jobs are what I’m concerned about,” he said. While there will likely be reskilling opportunities for U.S. workers, he urged organizations to think more collaboratively about the global workforce.
A consistent emphasis throughout the panel was that learning does not end with graduation. “The key thing that people need to do is be agile,” Kams says.
Entry level isn’t disappearing, it’s evolving
Ellie Gates, assistant professor of organizational leadership and information analysis, asked the committee to respond to a prediction of a 20% decline in entry-level roles, the roles that graduates typically explore, learn, and grow. The panelists’ perspectives were particularly optimistic.
Abel said the company continues to focus on interns and early-career hires, especially since younger employees are often more familiar with new AI tools. Panelists agreed that employment remains driven by curiosity, adaptability, and a desire to learn.
From a recruiting perspective, Cams puts it simply. “I hire for attitude over aptitude,” she said. “What you learn today probably won’t matter tomorrow. why you learn it. ”
“I hire for attitude over aptitude. What you learn today probably won’t matter tomorrow. >Why you learn it.
–Sherry is coming.
Hines emphasized that the human presence remains the differentiating factor. “How you network, how you present in interviews, and how you are recognized by clients will continue to be a differentiator.”
Manuszak further said, “When you face a lot of competition, the differentiator is how you show that you can use AI. It’s not just the possibility of use, but the context of use.”
Panellists said experiential learning, internships, hackathons and case competitions all demonstrate the ability to solve real-world problems, which is the hallmark of Leeds education.
Both Abel and Letteriata said they encourage their college-age children to engage with AI, rather than shying away from it. “If you suspect something, don’t let your amygdala take over. Stay curious and try to understand what’s going on,” Letteriata said.
He captured the sentiment shared throughout the roundtable that “asking the right questions is more important than getting the right answers.”
