Where Pittsburgh leaders see the real value in AI

Writer: Melis Turku Topa

November 2025 — AI is no longer a tech upgrade, it’s a strategic imperative reshaping how companies operate, lead and grow. Around 75% of organizations globally now use AI in at least one business function, and nearly half deploy it in three or more functions.

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Across Pittsburgh, organizations are building AI-driven corporate strategies that reshape business models, accelerate decision-making, and unlock new forms of value creation. 

As adoption scales, success increasingly depends on responsible implementation. Only 25% of businesses report a fully implemented AI governance program, and those with a formal AI strategy are more than twice as likely (80% vs 37%) to achieve successful adoption. That means effective upskilling, leadership dedication, and governance frameworks — including roles such as Chief AI Officer and Chief Data Officer — are rapidly becoming the key strategic differentiators of modern competitiveness.

Across boardrooms and campuses, executives are shifting the conversation from whether to use AI to how it can be responsibly integrated into long-term strategy. From predictive analytics in healthcare to generative tools in professional services and real estate, AI is not only optimizing operations but also reshaping how organizations think, lead, and compete.

Pittsburgh companies are moving beyond pilot programs toward enterprise-wide adoption. Data-driven decision-making now guides everything, from product design to customer experience and sustainability planning. For many firms, AI has become a foundational element of corporate strategy informing long-term investments and unlocking new growth models.

At K&L Gates LLP, Managing Partner Thomas Ryan noted that the firm’s early adoption of AI has positioned it ahead of the curve. “A significant achievement is being an early adopter for integrating AI across multiple disciplines,” said Ryan, in an interview with Invest:. “We have a firmwide AI industry working group that rolls out tests for new products, works with our clients, and finds ways to continue integrating and pushing our practices forward.”

This proactive approach mirrors a broader shift across Pittsburgh’s professional services landscape, where law firms, consultancies, and financial institutions embed AI into workflows to enhance precision, productivity, and client value.

With innovation comes responsibility. As AI becomes central to business operations, leaders are prioritizing governance, ethics, and workforce readiness. Responsible AI adoption encompassing transparency, fairness, and accountability is increasingly seen as a hallmark of forward-thinking organizations. A recent NTT DATA survey found that over 80% of executives believe leadership, governance, and workforce readiness are lagging behind AI adoption, underscoring a clear gap between technological capability and ethical oversight. As a result, companies that invest in governance frameworks and ethical leadership are distinguishing themselves as trustworthy and resilient in this new era of intelligent business.

In healthcare technology, Perry Genova, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Omnicell, emphasized that innovation must never come at the expense of safety.

“Everyone should be mindful of ethics and safety when discussing innovation, particularly in the case of artificial intelligence solutions,” Genova said. “AI can be extremely powerful and enabling but must be safely harnessed to ensure our customers and patients experience benefits without risk.”

Such a structured approach to AI governance reflects a growing awareness across industries where success depends not only on technological advancement, but also on the ethical frameworks guiding its use.

Beyond corporate settings, Pittsburgh’s academic institutions are at the forefront of preparing the next generation of AI-ready leaders — one of several themes covered at the upcoming Invest: Pittsburgh leadership summit on Feb. 26. Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, shared with Invest: how AI is shaping the future of business education.

“We’re expanding access to AI education beyond traditional students. We already work with companies through custom executive programs, but soon we’ll launch an AI for Business online course in partnership with CMU’s School of Computer Science,” she said. “It’s a comprehensive offering with 24 faculty members contributing to teach AI from a business perspective. Across the board  from operations to instruction to outreach AI has become deeply embedded in everything we do.”

By integrating AI across disciplines, CMU and other institutions are ensuring executives and students alike can adapt to a rapidly evolving digital economy — one where human insight and machine intelligence go hand in hand.

For some industries, AI’s potential is transformative, but not absolute. John Bilyak, market leader and principal at Colliers, for example, pointed out that the technology’s promise must be grounded in practicality.

“The key is to ensure technology enhances, rather than hinders, the practical aspects of real estate deals,” said Bilyak. “While AI certainly has its place, its potential might be overblown.”

Want more? Read the Invest: Pittsburgh report.