Brew Markets Clinical Trials For AI? with Prof. Karim Lakhani
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Oct 24, 2025 
Join Professor Karim Lakhani, a Harvard Business School expert and co-author of 'Competing in the Age of AI', as he dives into the compelling world of AI trials. He argues that corporations need clinical trials to measure AI's true impact and explores fascinating case studies, like Procter & Gamble, where AI enhanced productivity and workplace morale. Lakhani highlights the importance of workflow adjustments for realizing ROI and discusses the evolving role of AI in management. His insights bridge the gap between academia and industry, shedding light on ethical concerns and future talent dynamics.
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Clinical Trials Reveal Causal AI Effects
- Karim Lakhani runs randomized "clinical trials" of AI to get causal evidence on impact.
- Randomized access reveals both benefits and downsides that observational work misses.
AI Acts Like A Teammate
- In P&G trials AI acted like a teammate, boosting productivity and filling missing expertise.
- Users also reported more positive emotions and fewer negative feelings when using AI.
AI’s Performance Is Jagged, Not Uniform
- At BCG AI produced a “jagged frontier”: big gains on creative tasks but harm on spreadsheet analysis.
- Median consultants jumped to the 95th percentile on creative tasks but dropped ~20% on spreadsheet work.
