Generative artificial intelligence is now emerging as a major driver of transformation for organizations. With its capacity to generate content, rapidly analyze large volumes of information, and support decision-making, it offers significant opportunities to improve productivity, creativity, and innovation.
However, this rapid evolution also brings new challenges. Organizations must navigate emerging risks that are often difficult to anticipate while developing responsible practices to govern the use of these technologies.
It was in this context that, on June 16, 2026, a networking event organized as part of the Certification in Ethics and Compliance at Executive Education HEC Montréal was held under the theme “Generative AI: Anticipating Emerging Risks.” The event brought together three specialists to explore the challenges associated with the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence:
• Sarah Legendre Bilodeau, Senior Vice-President, Artificial Intelligence Consulting Group, Cofomo
• Timothy Murphy, Senior Tech & AI Leader, Ericsson
• Joé T. Martineau, Associate Professor, Department of Management, HEC Montréal
Multiple Risks Beyond Technology
One of the panel’s key takeaways is clear: the risks associated with generative artificial intelligence extend far beyond technical issues.
Data security, the protection of sensitive information, algorithmic bias, legal considerations, and compliance are among the current concerns facing organizations. However, certain strategic risks remain underestimated.
In an environment where innovation is evolving rapidly, failing to integrate artificial intelligence into an organization’s strategy can also represent a risk. Organizations must therefore strike a balance between the necessary safeguards and their ability to innovate.
As Sarah Legendre Bilodeau points out: “We talk a lot about operational risks, but strategic risks receive somewhat less attention. Yet failing to adopt AI quickly enough can cause us to lose our competitive advantage.”
The challenge, therefore, is not to slow down AI adoption, but rather to create the conditions for thoughtful, secure, and organizationally aligned use.
A Technology That Is Transforming Our Approach to Judgment
Generative artificial intelligence is significantly changing the way we work. It can produce fast and relevant answers, but the reliability of its results remains variable.
This reality requires users to adopt a new mindset. AI should be viewed as a tool to support reflection and decision-making, not as an absolute source of truth. The ability to analyze, question, and validate generated information is therefore becoming an essential skill.
Joé T. Martineau warns of a concerning phenomenon: “There comes a point when trust in artificial intelligence becomes so great that it undermines users’ vigilance, to the point where they can no longer identify errors.”
This situation reminds us that responsibility remains human. Even when artificial intelligence helps accelerate certain tasks, professional judgment and individual expertise remain essential.
The Autonomy of AI Agents: A Governance Challenge
The evolution of artificial intelligence is now leading toward a new generation of tools: autonomous AI agents. These systems can perform complex tasks, interact with different applications, and make certain decisions with limited human intervention.
This autonomy represents a significant opportunity for organizations, but it also raises fundamental questions. How can effective oversight be ensured? How can clear boundaries be established? Who is responsible when an autonomous system produces an undesirable outcome?
As Timothy Murphy explains: “The main concern today is related to the autonomy of these systems. How can we put control mechanisms and boundaries in place to ensure that they do not deviate from their intended purpose and lead to undesirable consequences?”
These issues demonstrate the importance of appropriate governance. Organizations must establish usage guidelines, monitoring mechanisms, and a clear allocation of responsibilities to ensure that innovation remains controlled.
The Pillars of Ethical AI Use
To fully benefit from artificial intelligence while limiting its risks, certain essential practices should guide its use.
1. Maintain a Critical Mindset
AI-generated content should be analyzed and validated. Users must remain able to recognize the limitations of these tools and question their outputs.
2. Protect Sensitive Data
Organizations must educate their teams about best practices related to privacy and security. Information shared with AI tools must be handled with care and discretion.
3. Preserve Quality and Rigour
Artificial intelligence can facilitate certain tasks, but it does not replace human expertise. Validation, analysis, and decision-making remain essential.
These principles remind us that AI is as much a human issue as it is a technological one. Responsible use depends on an organizational culture in which ethics and accountability play a central role.
Keeping Humanity at the Core
As artificial intelligence capabilities continue to evolve, one thing remains certain: its value depends on how we use it.
Tomorrow’s leaders will need to develop a deep understanding of this technology while maintaining a critical and responsible approach. They will need to identify opportunities, assess risks, and guide their teams through an ever-changing environment.
As Timothy Murphy emphasizes: “Humans must always remain the reference point for determining what is right and beneficial when using an artificial intelligence model.”
In a context shaped by rapidly evolving technologies, the organizations that stand out will be those that successfully combine innovation with responsibility. The challenge is not simply to adopt artificial intelligence, but to determine thoughtfully when, why, and how to use it. Far from replacing humans, AI reinforces the importance of fundamental skills such as judgment, ethics, creativity, and the ability to make informed decisions.
This conference was made possible through the support of the founding member and partners of the Certification in Ethics and Compliance at Executive Education HEC Montréal: La Caisse, Commission de la construction du Québec, Desjardins, and KPMG in Quebec, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of Université de Montréal.
