GLG Hosts Clients and Experts for AI Readiness and Disruption Event at NYC HQ

GLG hosted clients and experts at its New York HQ for “The Agentic Edge,” a discussion and networking event focused on the next phase of AI development and enterprise implementation.

The event featured a conversation and Q&A with Jeff McMillan, former Head of Firmwide AI at Morgan Stanley, moderated by GLG Chief Technology Officer Nathan Andrews.

Drawing on GLG’s latest research, including its Agentic AI Playbook, and Jeff’s experience deploying AI to a workforce of 80,000+ people, the conversation explored the current state of AI, the non-negotiable markers of readiness, the qualities that will distinguish winners from losers in the next phase of AI development, and how organizations can implement solutions that give them a strategic edge.

Key takeaways:

Definitions of “agentic” remain blurry

Jeff argued that current statistics on agentic AI adoption are hard to interpret because there’s no clear agreed-upon definition of what “agentic” really means. “100 people probably have 120 different definitions of what agentic AI is,” he said.

Breaking through barriers

Most organizations aren’t limited by technology, Jeff said – what usually holds them back is a lack of internal education, creativity, and a clear path for deployment. Indeed, he believes the most impactful innovations won’t come from the savviest engineers or data scientists but rather those who best understand the problems they’re trying to solve.

Think boring

The most immediate winners, according to Jeff, will be those who use AI to optimize “boring” sectors that operate on thin margins with highly complex administrative and logistical processes, such as shipping or insurance companies. “I think you’re going to start to see a lot of these sleepy companies start to create enormous margin value by sheer efficiency,” he said.

You’re not as behind as you might think

Almost everyone working on agentic AI believes they’re behind the curve, Jeff noted – but “it’s impossible for everyone to be behind.” While the pace of innovation may feel hard to keep up with, he estimates that we’re on year two or three of a 10- to 12-year tech innovation cycle toward full implementation. There’s a long road ahead – and still time to emerge with an edge.

Following the conversation, attendees had the opportunity to check out some of GLG’s innovative new offerings, which aim to help our clients accelerate, scale, and get greater value out of their research.
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