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Thinkific Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results

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Delivers Cash Flow from Operations of $1.7 million and positive Adjusted EBITDA of $0.3 million

Thinkific reports in thousands of U.S. dollars and in accordance with IFRS

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2026 /CNW/ — Thinkific Labs Inc. (“Thinkific” or the “Company”) (TSX: THNC), a leading learning commerce platform, today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.

“We are pleased to report Q2 results that demonstrate improving performance on our strategic focus to move upmarket, driven by sharper go-to-market execution and accelerated product and feature innovations,” said Greg Smith, CEO and Founder of Thinkific. “Our R&D team is seeing a dramatic acceleration, delivering more value to customers faster than ever before. They are also leveraging AI at the core of our platform, enabling powerful functionality for our customers in areas such as custom analytics and reporting, student interactions, and customizing the learner experience. We are seeing a direct impact emerging in growth drivers, with improvements in customer retention, as well as expansion and acquisition opportunities upmarket. Having completed some one-time investments, we are now prioritizing higher levels of profitability.”

Second Quarter Financial Highlights

(All comparisons are relative to the second quarter of 2025)  

Total revenue for the second quarter of 2026 increased 3% to $18.6 million, above the guided range of $18.2 – $18.5 million, driven by strong Plus performance that helped ARPU(2) grow by 5%, to $177 per month.Thinkific Plus Subscription and Commerce revenue grew 14% to $5.3 million. Self Serve Subscription and Commerce revenue decreased 1% to $13.3 million.Subscription revenue, in total, increased 3% to $15.2 million, with ARR(2) up 2% to $61.7 million.Commerce revenue, in total, increased 4% to $3.4 million, with GPV(2) processed through Thinkific Commerce growing 10% to $71.4 million. Thinkific Commerce penetration rate, measured as GPV(2) as a percent of GMV(2), increased to 67%, up from 58%.Gross margin remained flat at 73% in the second quarter of 2026.Net loss was $0.3 million, a decrease of $0.7 million from net income of $0.4 million.Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $0.3 million, or 1% of revenue, a decrease of $0.8 million.Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $51.0 million as of June 30, 2026.

Second Quarter Operational Highlights

Effective June 1, 2026, Leigh Ramsden joined Thinkific as Chief Financial Officer.In the second quarter, Thinkific began making Thinkific Learner Hub available to all of its customers. The Thinkific Learner Hub unifies courses, memberships, communities, events, AI learner engagement, and resources into a single, personalized, and branded destination for students. It replaces legacy dashboards with a modern, widget-based, layout that keeps learners engaged through progress tracking, tailored recommendations, and a customizable, professional interface.Product Innovation. Thinkific released continuous improvements to Our Platform in the second quarter of 2026.  We added features that enable customers to scale operations with a centralized asset library, and more powerful user management tools like permission management, and custom roles that allow customers to act on their learner base at scale.We added mobile in-app purchases, multi-item checkout capability, improved checkout validation, and clearer free trial billing — features that reduce friction and make it easier for customers to sell and grow their business.

(1)  Non-IFRS measure. See “Non-IFRS Measures” and the reconciliation to the most directly comparable IFRS measure.
(2)  Key Performance Indicators. See definition in “Key Performance Indicators”.

Outlook

For the third quarter of 2026, the Company expects revenue of $18.6 – $18.9 million, while improving Adjusted EBITDA(1) to a range of 2% to 5% of revenue.

Actual results may differ materially from Thinkific’s financial outlook as a result of, among other things, the factors described under “Forward-Looking Statements” below.

Quarterly Conference Call and Webcast Information

A conference call will be held at 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT) on August 5, 2026 to discuss Thinkific’s second quarter 2026 financial and operational results. To participate in the call, please dial 1.888.510.2154 (US/Canada toll-free) or 1.437.900.0527 (International/Toronto). For those unable to participate, a replay will be available an hour after the event by dialing 1.888.660.6345 (US/Canada toll-free) or 1.289.819.1450 (International/Toronto). The passcode is 50367#. The replay will expire at midnight ET on August 12, 2026. The conference call will also be available via webcast on the Investor Relations section of Thinkific’s website at investors.thinkific.com/events-and-presentations.

Thinkific’s unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, are available on the Company’s website at www.thinkific.com and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Thinkific

Thinkific (TSX:THNC) is an award-winning learning commerce platform where courses and community come together to power business growth. Thinkific gives academies, experts, and businesses everything they need to create and sell online learning experiences, build communities, and grow their revenue — all from one platform. Tens of thousands of customers — including companies like GoDaddy, Nasdaq, ActiveCampaign, and Datadog — have generated billions in revenue using Thinkific, impacting more than 200 million people worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.thinkific.com.

Non-IFRS Measures

The information presented within this press release includes “Adjusted EBITDA” and certain industry metrics. “Adjusted EBITDA” is not a recognized measure under International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, this measure is provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our results of operations from management’s perspective. Accordingly, it should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. We also use certain industry metrics: “Annual Recurring Revenue”, “Average Revenue per User”, “Gross Merchandise Volume” and “Gross Payments Volume”. These industry metrics are unaudited and are not directly derived from our financial statements. The non-IFRS measure and industry metrics are used to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS measures. We also believe that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures and industry metrics in the evaluation of issuers. Our management also uses the non-IFRS measure and industry metrics in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, to prepare annual operating budgets and forecasts and to determine components of management compensation.

“Adjusted EBITDA” is defined as Net (loss) income excluding taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization (or EBITDA), as adjusted for stock-based compensation, foreign exchange loss (gain), finance income, restructuring costs, loss on disposal of property and equipment, and non-recurring equity transaction costs. Adjusted EBITDA does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS and is not a measure of operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with IFRS, and is subject to important limitations.

Please refer to “Reconciliation to IFRS from Non-IFRS measures” in this press release for more information.

(1)  Non-IFRS measure. See “Non-IFRS Measures” and the reconciliation to the most directly comparable IFRS measure.

Key Performance Indicators

We monitor the following industry metrics to help us evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions: “Annual Recurring Revenue” or “ARR”, “Average Revenue per User” or “ARPU”, “Gross Merchandise Volume” or “GMV”, and “Gross Payments Volume” or “GPV”. Our key performance indicators may be calculated in a manner different than similar key performance indicators used by other companies.

“ARPU” is the average monthly Revenue per Paying Customer in the quarter. ARPU is calculated by taking the average Revenue for each month in the quarter and dividing this by the average number of Paying Customers for the same quarter.

“ARR” is the annual value of all current Paying Customer subscriptions at the end of the period, with the number of Paying Customers multiplied by 12 times the average monthly subscription plan fee in effect on the last day of that period.

“GMV” is the total dollar value of all transactions of course sales, membership subscriptions, or other products or services by our customers, facilitated through Our Platform during the period, net of refunds. GMV does not include transactions processed by application programming interfaces or certain apps where the Company does not record the transaction value.

“GPV” is the total dollar value of transactions processed using Thinkific Payments in the period, net of refunds and inclusive of sales taxes where applicable. GPV does not represent revenue earned by us. Penetration rate is the percentage of GMV processed through Thinkific Payments, it is calculated by dividing GPV by GMV for the respective period. We believe that growth in GPV is an indicator of success of our customers in monetizing their learning products and of our Thinkific Payments offering. It is also a positive growth driver of revenue, which is derived from payment processing fees. Revenue earned from Thinkific Payments is included in our commerce revenue.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada. Forward-looking information may relate to the Company’s future financial outlook and anticipated events or results, including its financial position, business strategy, growth strategies, budgets, operations, financial results, plans and objectives. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as “plans”, “targets”, “expects”, “continue”, “opportunity”, “estimates”, “outlook”, “strategy”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” “occur” or “be achieved”, and similar expressions, or the negative thereof. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but represent management’s expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our business strategy, financial results and expectations with respect to Adjusted EBITDA; our growth strategies, including the development and deployment of AI-powered features and tools; expectations regarding revenue and the revenue generation potential of Our Platform; objectives around growth and profitability; purchases of Common Shares under the NCIB; and our competitive position in our industry.

Forward-looking information is based on opinions, estimates and assumptions that, while considered by the Company to be appropriate and reasonable as of the date of this press release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the Company’s ability to execute on its growth strategies; the impact of changing conditions and increasing competition in the global e-learning market; the Company’s ability to keep pace with technological and marketplace changes, including the ethical, legal and regulatory implications of artificial intelligence; the impact of macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical developments and trade policy uncertainty; fluctuations in currency exchange rates and volatility in financial markets; changes in financial condition and demand of our target market; developments and changes in applicable laws and regulations; and such other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our 2025 Annual Information Form (“AIF”).

Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Assumptions underlying the Company’s expectations include, among others: our ability to continue investing in infrastructure to support our growth; our ability to maintain and enhance the functionality, performance, reliability, security and scalability of Our Platform; our ability to maintain existing customer relationships and acquire new customers; our ability to maintain relationships with service providers, suppliers, partners and other third parties; the continued development and success of new products, features and services; our ability to retain key personnel; our ability to execute on our growth plans; currency exchange and interest rates; the impact of competition; and changes and trends in our industry or the global economy. The foregoing list of assumptions cannot be considered exhaustive.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the opinions, estimates or assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. The opinions, estimates and assumptions referred to above are described in greater detail in “Summary of Factors Affecting our Performance” and in the “Risk Factors” section of the 2025 AIF, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although we have attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other risk factors not presently known to us that could also cause actual results to differ materially. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date made. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents our expectations as of the date specified herein and is subject to change after such date. However, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities laws.

All of the forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking information should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed.

THINKIFIC LABS INC.

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (unaudited)

Amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars

As at June 30

As at December 31

2026

2025

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$                  7,719

$                  7,837

Short-term investments

43,251

42,857

Trade and other receivables

3,658

5,209

Prepaid expenses and other assets

3,410

3,030

Contract acquisition assets

811

705

Total current assets

58,849

59,638

Property and equipment

456

530

Lease right-of-use assets

1,225

1,396

Contract acquisition assets

1,277

1,034

Intangible assets

166

181

Total assets

$                61,973

$                62,779

Liabilities and shareholders’ equity

Current liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$                  6,804

$                  7,357

Lease liabilities

337

342

Deferred revenue

11,975

10,697

Derivative liability

448

Total current liabilities

19,564

18,396

Lease liabilities

936

1,126

Total liabilities

20,500

19,522

Shareholders’ equity

Share capital

108,845

109,352

Contributed surplus

8,506

7,825

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income

(486)

26

Accumulated deficit

(75,392)

(73,946)

Total shareholders’ equity

41,473

43,257

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$                61,973

$                62,779

 

THINKIFIC LABS INC.

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (unaudited)

Amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except share and per share amounts

Three months ended June 30

Six months ended June 30

2026

2025

2026

2025

Revenue

$            18,602

$            18,098

$            37,293

$            35,942

Cost of revenue

5,085

4,820

10,376

9,492

Gross profit

13,517

13,278

26,917

26,450

Operating expenses

Sales and marketing

4,635

5,433

9,255

10,459

Research and development

6,202

5,346

13,259

10,244

General and administrative

3,499

3,341

7,107

6,782

Total operating expenses

14,336

14,120

29,621

27,485

Operating loss

(819)

(842)

(2,704)

(1,035)

Other income

Finance income

575

712

1,344

1,313

Foreign exchange  (loss) gain

(90)

502

(86)

495

Total other income

485

1,214

1,258

1,808

Net (loss) income

(334)

372

(1,446)

773

Other comprehensive (loss) income

Unrealized (loss) gain on derivatives

(217)

542

(512)

739

Total comprehensive (loss) income

$              (551)

$               914

$            (1,958)

$             1,512

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – basic

67,439,549

68,104,374

67,610,118

68,141,404

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding – diluted

67,439,549

68,950,072

67,610,118

69,105,506

(Loss) earnings per share

Basic and diluted

$              (0.00)

$               0.01

$              (0.02)

$               0.01

 

THINKIFIC LABS INC.

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

Amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars

Six months ended June 30

2026

2025

Operating activities

Net (loss) income

$        (1,446)

$           773

Items not affecting cash and cash equivalents:

Depreciation and amortization

687

686

Stock-based compensation

1,781

2,019

Unrealized foreign exchange gain

(175)

(498)

Finance income

(1,344)

(1,313)

Interest received

544

389

Changes in non-cash working capital:

Trade and other receivables

1,583

733

Prepaid expenses and other assets

(445)

1,097

Contract acquisition assets

(746)

(487)

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

(169)

786

Deferred revenue

1,278

1,268

Cash from operating activities

$         1,548

$         5,453

Investing activities

Investment in property and equipment and intangible assets

(30)

(142)

Cash used in investing activities

$           (30)

$          (142)

Financing activities

Operating lease payments

(173)

(222)

Exercise of stock options

5

45

Tax remittances on stock-based compensation

(211)

(422)

Shares repurchased for cancellation and other equity-related costs

(1,123)

(2,098)

Directors compensation and DSU settlements

(274)

Cash used in financing activities

$        (1,776)

$        (2,697)

Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash and cash equivalents held

140

363

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

(118)

2,977

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

7,837

49,492

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$         7,719

$        52,469

 

THINKIFIC LABS INC.

Reconciliation from IFRS to Non-IFRS Measures (unaudited)

Amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars

Three months ended June 30

Six months ended June 30

(in thousands of U.S. dollars)

2026

2025

2026

2025

Net (loss) income

$              (334)

$               372

$        (1,446)

$           773

Stock-based compensation

743

1,255

1,781

2,019

Depreciation and amortization

349

334

687

686

Foreign exchange loss (gain)

90

(502)

86

(495)

Finance income

(575)

(712)

(1,344)

(1,313)

Non-recurring equity transaction costs

302

302

Adjusted EBITDA

$               273

$             1,049

$          (236)

$         1,972

SOURCE Thinkific Labs Inc.

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Unanet Named a 2026 Top Remote Workplace

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Employee-driven recognition highlights Unanet’s commitment to flexibility, connection and a people-first workplace

DULLES, Va., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Unanet, the leader in AI-first ERP and growth software for government contractors and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms, has been recognized as a 2026 Top Workplace for Remote Work by Energage, the technology company behind the Top Workplaces employer recognition program. This achievement demonstrates Unanet’s commitment to giving employees the flexibility of remote work while still creating opportunities to connect, collaborate, grow, and have fun together. The honor marks the fifth workplace award in the last two years Unanet has earned for its employee-first culture.

“This recognition reflects what our employees experience every day at Unanet: remote work isn’t simply about where we work, it’s about creating an environment where people can do their best work,” said Stacy Critzer, Chief Human Resources Officer at Unanet. “We’ve been intentional about building a culture where employees have the flexibility and support to be successful while staying connected to their colleagues and to the broader Unanet community, no matter where they’re located. That sense of connection and belonging makes us stronger as a team and ultimately helps us deliver better for our customers.”

The Top Workplaces for Remote Work award is based on employee feedback. In the past several years, Unanet’s employee base has grown substantially, and while Unanet continues to innovate in its AI-enabled solutions, intuitive customer interface, and industry-leading customer support, the company also continues to invest in its people and work culture. By keeping remote employees connected and supported through employee resource groups, recognition programs, virtual events, wellness programming, opportunities to build relationships across teams and mentorship, Unanet has proven time and again that its people are the cornerstone of success.

Top Workplaces national and regional employer awards highlight organizations that listen to employee feedback and drive people-first cultures. The Top Workplaces award is based on the confidential, research-backed Energage Workplace Survey. Participating companies are evaluated against the industry’s most robust benchmarks based on two decades of workplace culture research.

“Top Workplaces awards are a celebration of good news,” said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage. “They exemplify the significance of a people-first workplace experience, reminding us that employees are the heart of any thriving organization.”

To learn more about Unanet’s culture and career opportunities, please visit https://unanet.com/about/careers.

About Energage
Energage is an HR technology company on a mission to help organizations build and brand exceptional workplace cultures. We power the Top Workplaces employer recognition program and deliver actionable, research-backed employee survey insights that fuel professional growth and elevate employer brands. Our comprehensive talent experience platform combines cutting-edge tools, expert guidance, and built-in personalization to cultivate cultures that boost engagement, improve retention, attract top talent, and drive better business results. Learn more at energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

About Unanet
Unanet is the leader in AI-first ERP and growth software for project-based businesses. Trusted by more than 4,200 government contractor, architecture, engineering, and construction firms, Unanet unifies pursuits, projects, people, and financials with built-in automation and compliance features—all supported by a dedicated customer success team. This empowers leaders to make confident, real-time decisions that drive growth from pursuit to profit. Learn more at unanet.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unanet-named-a-2026-top-remote-workplace-302884919.html

SOURCE Unanet

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Transflo Wins 2026 National Remote Work Award from Top Workplaces

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TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Transflo has been named a top employer for Remote Work in the national Top Workplaces 2026 recognition program. The accolade is based on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience across various professional attributes.

This marks Transflo’s second consecutive year earning national recognition for Remote Work from Top Workplaces, following the same honor in 2025. The award reflects Transflo’s ongoing commitment to a productive and collaborative distributed workplace where employees thrive regardless of location.

“What makes Transflo special is our people,” said Renee Krug, Chief Executive Officer of Transflo. “We have an incredibly talented team that works hard, supports one another, and is deeply committed to our customers and our success. This recognition belongs to them.”

“Our distributed model proves that remote work thrives when you lead with trust and back it up with the right tools,” said Bill Vitti, President and Chief Revenue Officer of Transflo. “That’s the environment we’ve been intentional about building, and it shows in how our teams perform every day.”

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

About Transflo
Transflo is the leading provider of AI-powered mobile, telematics, and workflow automation solutions for the transportation industry in North America. Transflo’s cab to cash platform delivers real-time connectivity for fleets, brokers, factors, shippers, and commercial vehicle drivers, digitizing more than 800 million shipping documents annually and supporting approximately $115 billion in freight bills. 

Company Contact
Belinda Rueffer, SVP of Marketing
Belinda.Rueffer@transflo.com

About Energage
Making the world a better place to work together.™
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 20 years of culture research and the results from 30 million employees surveyed across more than 80,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate benchmark available. For more information, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transflo-wins-2026-national-remote-work-award-from-top-workplaces-302883567.html

SOURCE Transflo

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INSEAD AI Forum Americas debates AI’s impact across industry, careers and society

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FONTAINEBLEAU, France and SINGAPORE and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Every industry is now being asked the same question: not whether to adopt AI, but how to do so in a way that strengthens rather than hollows out the organisations and people building them. That question sat at the centre of INSEAD’s AI Forum Americas 2026, which brought together business leaders, scientists, founders and policymakers in San Francisco this week for two days of debate on how artificial intelligence is reshaping industry, work and society. 

Across keynotes, panels and workshops spanning healthcare, robotics, organisational design and the future of careers, a consistent thread emerged: AI’s promise is inseparable from the discipline of implementation. Capturing its value responsibly means building the right frameworks, exercising sharper judgment about what to automate and what to protect, and investing in the human partnerships that make transformation durable rather than disruptive. 

Day One: Launching the INSEAD Future Council 

Day one started with the official launch of the INSEAD Future Council. This new initiative looks to bring together a network of communities, including enterprises, start-ups, investors, global innovation corridors, think tanks and academics, to work alongside INSEAD.  

The Council aims to deliver practical value across five pillars, starting by giving industry access to INSEAD’s MBA and EMBA talent through student projects and hiring opportunities. It will also foster knowledge by bringing real-world challenges and data into academic research, and improve learning by designing education programmes around current priorities. The Council will also create a connected network between industry and INSEAD’s global alumni community, and generate impact through shared research and events. 

“The Council is a two-way partnership: INSEAD brings a global platform, faculty, talent and an alumni network, and Council members bring the strategic challenges we all face as we roll out AI at the fastest possible pace,” said Victoria Woo, Senior Director of the INSEAD San Francisco Hub of Business Innovation. 

Dean of Research & Innovation Lily Fang used the Forum as an opportunity to give more details on the launch of the INSEAD Human and Machine Intelligence Institute (HUMII), made possible by a five-year, 15-million-euro gift from an alum. HUMII’s mission is to research and teach how AI can amplify human intelligence and expand human agency rather than focus on the technology itself. HUMII’s five founding principles, Fang explained, are modelled on INSEAD’s own entrepreneurial roots – open and interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial and courageous, faculty-led and independent, focused on quality over hype, and deeply connected to the outside world – positioning the institute to earn further funding by proving its impact, much like a startup hitting milestones. 

“We have a very strong voice, perhaps increasingly needed by this world, to think about how this technology will impact human society and business,” Lily Fang, Dean of Research & Innovation and Academic Director of HUMII. 

Learning, innovation, organisational challenges and the real-world impact of AI were recurring themes throughout the forum. This included the day’s opening panel, which explored the growing impact of AI in healthcare with Marc Tessier-Lavigne, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Xaira Therapeutics. He explained how AI is reshaping how new medicines get discovered, from target identification to clinical trial design, and compressing timelines that used to take a decade into a fraction of the time. 

Josh Cohen of Apple University then took the stage to explain why companies need to consider a “4A” framework to better integrate AI into work. 

“The design idea is to avoid falling into either the language or the practice of knee-jerk automation, which does potentially great human damage. We avoid it by designing with a framework of alternatives in mind: automation when we can, augmentation when we can, addition when it’s needed, and avoidance when excessive reliance undermines learning or erodes relationships.” 

Day one also featured panels, organised by the INSEAD Future Council, focusing on the potential geopolitical tensions arising from AI development, and a session emphasising the value of diversity and emotional intelligence when it came to sparking innovation and entrepreneurship. Other sessions touched on the role of robots in the operating theatre, how much we should hand over to AI in the workplace, and why boards need to better understand AI to lead their organisations through this transformative moment. 

Day Two: From the Research Lab to the Factory Floor 

Day two opened with Yossi Matias, Vice President at Google and head of Google Research, who showed just how far AI has already reached into the real world, from satellites that spot wildfires before they spread, to LearnLM and NotebookLM tools built to support teachers rather than replace them, to MedGemma, an open-source medical model already downloaded millions of times. Matias’s own team is even putting AI to work as a co-scientist, generating hypotheses and combing research literature across disciplines. 

The sessions that followed dug into what it actually takes to make AI work inside an organisation, from building AI-ready teams and rethinking incentive structures, to the operational realities of agentic AI, physical AI and robotics on the factory floor and city streets, to hard data on how automation is reshaping careers and long-term earning potential. 

The day closed with a keynote talk from Vivienne Ming, Chief Scientist at Possibility Sciences and author of the new book Robot Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People. She argued that AI’s real power lies not in giving us answers but in pushing us to think harder.  

“Challenging people makes them better. Invest in better people by investing in technology that challenges us to be better,” said Ming. 

The AI Forum Americas marked the second stop in INSEAD’s 2026 AI Forum series. The global series began with the Europe Forum, held in Paris and Fontainebleau in June, and will continue in Singapore on 30-31 October. The AI Forums are part of IN:AI – The INSEAD Initiative on Responsible AI Leadership, which brings together education, research and engagement to advance responsible AI leadership.

Learn more about the INSEAD AI Forums.

About INSEAD, The Business School for the World

As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. Our research, teaching and partnerships reflect this global perspective and cultural diversity. Our global perspective and unparalleled cultural diversity are reflected in our research, teaching, partnerships; as well as in our alumni network of over 73,000 members representing 176 nationalities across 183 countries.

With locations in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), and North America (San Francisco), INSEAD’s business education and research spans four regions. Our 162 renowned Faculty members from 40 countries inspire more than 1,700 degree participants annually in our Master in ManagementMBAGlobal Executive MBA, Specialised Master’s degrees (Executive Master in Finance and Executive Master in Change) and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 21,000 executives participate in INSEAD Executive Education programmes each year.

INSEAD continues to conduct cutting-edge research and innovate across all our programmes. We provide business leaders with the knowledge and awareness to operate anywhere. Our core values drive academic excellence and serve the global community as The Business School for the World.

CONTACT: news@insead.edu

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