April 29, 2026
By: Caurie Putnam
From data and IT to marketing and finance, organizations are beginning to integrate generative AI into their workflows, while continuing to explore where it fits best. We spoke with several local leaders working at the intersection of AI strategy, implementation, and business transformation about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next.
Cause + Effect Strategy
John Loury
As organizations look to move beyond basic use cases, many are beginning to explore how generative AI can be embedded more directly into existing workflows, said John Loury, president of Rochester-based data and analytics consulting firm Cause + Effect Strategy.
“I would say the number one most popular use case is personal productivity,” Loury said, pointing to tasks like drafting emails, summarizing meetings and creating first drafts of presentations.
From there, organizations are starting to expand into what he describes as knowledge work acceleration, using AI to tap into internal data and institutional knowledge more efficiently.
“To be able to access that quickly and to synthesize thoughts from that is a really valuable opportunity,” he said.
A third, more advanced stage involves integrating AI into defined processes, allowing tasks to move seamlessly from one step to the next.
“Not many people are at this stage yet,” he said. “But that’s where a tremendous amount of value is…”