Community Contributor: Murray Gamble , C3 Group of Companies

When it comes to AI and the workforce, a Waterloo Region business leader says we might be asking the wrong questions - and not asking enough of them.

As President of engineering firm The C3 Group of Companies, Chair of the University of Waterloo Board of Governors, and a seasoned tech investor, Murray Gamble embraces AI as a “powerful tool” that can help "solve problems and generate revenue.” However, as news headlines suggest AI is on a path to replace the workforce, Gamble’s vision is clear: “We won’t let anyone go because of AI.”

In a recent conversation with NorthGuide in the lead-up to the 2025 Global Ecosystem Summit, Gamble shared his thoughts on AI, the talent pipeline (particularly entry and junior level), and the current AI adoption fervor. Here are a few of the questions Murray Gamble is contemplating about AI as a business and community leader:

Are we adopting AI intentionally and thoughtfully?

“My focus has always been on building and investing in companies for the long term,” says Gamble. Short-sighted decisions, he explains, such as companies replacing employees with AI, place your longer term viability at risk. He acknowledges that business decisions are being made faster than ever now and that the economic pressures are real, but adds that not taking the time to think through AI adoption could be wasteful or damaging to the business and its stakeholders down the road.

This sentiment applies to large organizations as well as startups. “Every startup I’ve invested in that’s been successful has had a long term view, not a get rich quick mindset.”

Since AI can optimize nearly every decision with data, Murray encourages leaders to ask how they will train new talent to develop and trust their own intuition and ethical judgment. Will an over-reliance on AI-driven recommendations atrophy the very skills that define great leadership? “The ability to make tough calls in ambiguous situations, navigate complex human dynamics, and lead with moral clarity must continue to be honed.”

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Does our AI strategy take values and ethics into account?

Values should always drive your strategy,” says Gamble. They are a touchstone for everything you do. He and his team are examining how they can put a values framework around AI integration. “There are no values embedded in large language models,” he explains, “so it’s our job and our moral obligation to build in some constraints based on the values of our organization and with care for the people we serve.” He sees the need to build AI-use policies within the organization as well as embedding them within the creation process for new products. “Algorithms don’t slow down to make sure something is ‘right’ or ethical, so we must take this responsibility ourselves.”

How will we ensure that shortcuts don’t replace critical and creative thinking, experimentation and necessary failure?

Viewing AI as a way to “take smart people with strong skills to the next level,” Gamble proposes that we continue to expect - and hire for - critical and creative thinking and that we promote the importance of failure. “I have learned from every failure I’ve experienced, and luckily I have failed a lot,” he shares. “I want my team to experiment and learn from failure, not ask AI for quick answers.” Failure, in his view, is a form of feedback and learning, and should be embraced, not avoided. He adds that getting answers from AI doesn't necessarily prevent you from failing. It might give you the wrong answers, or you might have asked the wrong questions or given the wrong prompts.

Gamble employs thinkers and builders who can embrace new tools to augment and supercharge their work. “We need to arm smart people with the tools and support to solve problems and make better decisions, with care not to compromise our important business relationships and the trust we’ve built.”

Are we incorporating AI in a way that invests in young talent - our future leaders - so they can improve and grow?

In keeping with his views on critical thinking, Gamble sees young talent in particular as vulnerable to short-sighted business cuts due to AI. “Young talent will drive your company and should be a very high priority to the business,” he observes. “I don’t see why this priority should change because of AI.” What AI does offer is the opportunity to benefit your newer team members, not replace them. An added bonus? AI is good at time-consuming tasks previously considered "junior work". Now the younger generation can start thinking strategically much earlier in their careers than previous generations. Give smart people the right tools and “you’ll see them evolve at a rapid pace, taking the business to levels you had perhaps not even considered possible.”

Gamble and his team are asking whether AI adoption will create a greater chasm and skill gap between people who know how to leverage this tool and those who don't. “How do we still build a unified workforce that can work effectively together throughout this transition?” he asks.

How can relationship-driven businesses implement AI without jeopardizing trust?

Relationship-driven businesses like C3 must be particularly strategic about how and where they use AI. “If you’re not constantly building and reinforcing trust with customers, you’ll lose them,” Gamble shares. “Our most important commodity is trust, and our biggest asset in the trust equation is our people.” Gamble and his team tend to focus their AI implementation on back-office workflows, preserving the human connection that is so essential to trust-building.

While he embraces AI’s potential, he suggests it is often a poor substitute for the relationship between the customer and a highly experienced human. Trust, Gamble believes, is inversely proportional to perceived self-interest. “There’s nothing more self-interested in a long-term relationship business than replacing your customer-facing staff with bots in order to save money.”

While seeking answers, keep asking questions

Gamble shares his views not to claim expertise in the AI domain, but to encourage leaders to consider some fundamental questions before they rush to adopt or are too quick with cuts. This conversation is a reminder that AI may present itself as the answer, but it’s important to keep asking questions. With every powerful tool comes an obligation to proceed with intention and care - or in the words of French philosopher Voltaire (and subsequently Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben), “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Thank you, Murray Gamble, for sharing your thoughts on how we can embrace AI tools with an eye to fostering long-term organizational health and talent development.

To take the conversation further within your organization, reach out to NorthGuide for support on strategic AI adoption and implementation.

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