A fascinating and highly engaging session was had as we revisited the ever-evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at RAP Research Forum 2025 – Humber Polytechnic on March 28, Friday, cutting through the noise of buzzwords to address both the current state and the future landscape of this transformative technology in the backdrop of student capstone projects on display. Two insightful morning presentations from Brandspark and Dig Insights highlighted how both firms are strategically leveraging AI to maintain their competitive edge. This year’s was a sequel of sorts to last year’s forum, but also as we know, there’s lots more to come in a fast-changing world.
The key takeaway from these presentations and ensuing discussions was how AI has fundamentally transformed their operations, alleviating lower-order tasks, automating processes, and facilitating exponential growth. By investing in technology and innovation driven by AI, both companies have unlocked the potential for greater scalability in their operations. The discussions were timely as well, coming off from our AI Institute during Reading Break, where unanimously there was agreement about upkilling for changed times, but also debate about how to foster more critical thinking and imbibe cultures of curiosity, ongoing learning, specialization and flow as we use AI to achieve more scale and efficiency, without losing the human excellence, nuance, culture, vision and strategy.
What makes these examples particularly relevant for my students is the integration of AI with different business models. Both Brandspark and Dig Insights operate within the agency model, yet Dig Insights has distinguished itself with Upsiide, its proprietary SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. For my students, this offers an important learning opportunity: understanding the nuances of business models, particularly the interplay between traditional agency models and SaaS platforms. In my classes, we often also explore the concept of SaaS, how agencies can build their own platforms, or how they can utilize existing ones to streamline operations. This intersection of technology and business strategy is a critical area of focus as students prepare to navigate the future of work, business, and industry.
In my courses, I emphasize the importance of understanding the business (firm-level, market-level, industry-level and society-level) context of any organization—whether it’s for social structure reflections, competitive analysis, policy analysis, or even the creation and critique of industry conferences and codes of conduct. This holistic approach helps students appreciate the broader social and commercial environment in which diverse companies and groups operate and understand how technology can enhance organizational outcomes. In discussing the future, we also touched on the incredible innovations ahead. However, the question remains: where are the futurists leading us? The future, despite ongoing transformation, needs more future-thinkers and future-doers. As a result, disciplines like forecasting and foresight have become essential and must be more closely integrated into the research and data vernacular.
Insights from ESOMAR’s Global Market Research Software Report 2024 concurs that AI and automation are reshaping industries, with a particular focus on the increasing reliance on AI-driven analytics and tech-driven research software. AI is a paradigm-shifting technology that is creating an ecosystem that blends research software, AI analytics, and automation. This sentiment echoes a broader trend in the research sector, where AI is not only enhancing efficiency but also enabling new capabilities that were previously less developed (e.g. storytelling) or unimaginable ( more time for interpretation and analyses). You can already see how some of these ideas have inspired some of my students’ work through the past semesters more specifically around impacts of AI in work and also social issues like how diversity is also a big part of all this disruption.
The discussions around AI opened a whole bucket of questions on proprietary versus open-source research tools, where students found themselves trying to understand the value of an industry where barriers to entry continually appeared to plunge with the advancement of new technologies. Ironic, given how the labour market always appears so tight to students / graduates in their current life-stage, and even overall. This is why I tell my students that the future is cross-disciplinary and cross-functional. While still in its early stages as a broad technology, AI has already begun to redefine the workplace, even as it takes over routine tasks. The automation of entry-level functions, in particular, has freed up valuable human capital for higher-level cognitive work, such as complex problem-solving and strategic thinking. While this shift may lead to a reduction in manual tasks or certain roles, it is expected to generate a significant increase in demand for more creative, analytical, and strategic roles, including secondary research and forecasting. Importantly, as AI relieves employees of mundane tasks, the speakers noted in response to audience questions and in their presentations, that the need for advanced desk and secondary research is on the rise, creating new opportunities for analytical professionals to engage with data in more meaningful ways.
It is essential to recognize, however, that despite the broad potential of AI, its capabilities have not yet been fully harnessed, as was apparent from the candid disclosures of the speakers’ own companies’ adoption of AI in relation to their competition. While AI, including LLMs and external AI, has been around for some time, it still faces significant limitations—particularly in areas like generalization and context understanding—despite intense ongoing research. This plays out in experiments with synthetic data and even in AI moderators as discussed in the presentations.
I’ve enjoyed sharing different examples and even demos of agentic AI in my classrooms, and the more they experiment with and talk about it, helps distill the practical implications of these ideas and technologies, moving beyond the shiny surface of big words to uncover their true value in expanding human potential. Additionally, the speakers noted that challenges around expertise needed to use, commission or deploy AI, and the larger privacy concerns including outdated to slow privacy legislation that is AI encompassing continue to hinder AI’s full potential in how and where it is adopted by research firms. As such, the current state of AI should be viewed not as a finished product but as an evolving field that humans need to be an active co-participant in shaping. As AI technologies advance, so too will their capacity to tackle more complex tasks, offering new avenues for growth and innovation across data, analytics and insights.
Thus, while we are still at an early stage in AI’s potential, it is critical for leaders and top global talent to stay informed and adaptable as we make the journey from broad AI to AGI. Understanding the changing landscape—through AI-driven advancements, business model innovations, and the opportunities created by emerging and rapidly evolving technologies along with the regulations surrounding them (and the issues at stake with AI’s impact on business, industry and society)—is paramount in preparing for the disrupted workforce. These discussions are not just theoretical; they are shaping the very future of work, and it’s a future that, despite its complexities, promises to be bright. The icing on the cake was to watch the final research capstone projects of the students I taught and led last year on display in the gallery for the current cohorts to be inspired and prepare for their own final projects. Enjoy the pictures below.
More Pictures at RAP Forum 2025 with Capstone Projects
Posing above with some of my star students in the vicinity at the research showcase projects gallery. We had a blast connecting about top trends, techniques and technologies in the lead up to their finals weeks. Wishing my winter semester students all the best for their final exams and other milestones. Wonderful to be acknowledged as a valued industry partner as well at the Forum again! The partnership between Generation1.ca and Humber has been a source of immense pride and prestige, as we’ve pioneered new pathways in empowering top talent and driving skill development for a future-ready workforce.
Humber’s commitment to polytechnic education is central to our mission, and our partnership with Generation1.ca reflects this dedication. By blending theory with hands-on training and real-world experience, we empower students to thrive. This collaboration has been instrumental in fostering personal and professional growth, giving students a competitive edge in the job market, while nurturing their skills and confidence. We are deeply grateful for Generation1.ca’s ongoing support, guidance, and mentorship in advancing the academic and career success of our Research Analyst Graduate Students.
Placement Office, Humber Polytechnic
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