Back to Articles

Electric Mindset Episode 9: AI-Ready? Or AI-Pretending?

Electric Mindset Episode 9: AI-Ready? Or AI-Pretending?
[
Podcast
]
Dave Manley, Senior Delivery Manager | Anunaya Ritwik, Managing Director at RBC | Andrew Pitt, Client Partner at Electric Mind
Published:
June 24, 2026

AI readiness is not just a technology upgrade. It requires the right people, the right governance foundations, and a culture that is genuinely ready to work alongside AI, not just tolerate it.

In Episode 9, Dave Manley sits down with Anunaya Ritwik, Managing Director at RBC Investor Services, and Andrew Pitt, Client Partner at Electric Mind, to explore what it actually takes for complex, regulated organizations to move from AI ambition to AI adoption.

L to R: Dave Manley, Senior Delivery Manager | Anunaya Ritwik, Managing Director at RBC | Andrew Pitt, Client Partner at Electric Mind

The conversation surfaces three essentials: robust governance, strong data foundations, and an adaptive culture. The real differentiator is learning to balance the optimism of AI evangelists with the operational realism of the analysts closest to the work, so that people feel empowered by the shift rather than displaced by it. As Anunaya puts it, the goal is to build products that genuinely liberate time for operations analysts to do higher-value work.

The other thread running through the episode is a practical one: start now, even if your data is not perfect and your governance is still evolving. Using AI for meeting notes, improving test scripts, and building team confidence through low-stakes wins all lay the groundwork for the bigger transformation ahead. The question worth asking is not whether you are ready for a moonshot. It is whether you are doing the small things that are not actually that hard.

Or listen on your favourite streaming platform.

Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Watch Season 2 episode 008 here:

Episode 8: The AI Execution Gap

Watch Season 1 episodes 001 through 006 here:

Episode 1: AI or Bust

Episode 2: Legacy Modernization

Episode 3: The Future of Work

Episode 4: Gen AI in Canadian Banks

Episode 5: Servicenow: Now What?

Episode 6: Contact Centers in the AI Era

Episode 7: The Future of Payments

If your organization is navigating the compliance and cultural side of AI adoption, we would be glad to talk through what a practical path forward looks like. Get in touch here.

Got a complex challenge?
Let’s solve it – together, and for real
Frequently Asked Questions

Relevant Insights

View All
#
[
Blog
]
Why exception handling is the real bottleneck in KYC and AML

This piece explains how exception handling, straight-through processing, and queue design shape KYC onboarding speed and AML compliance outcomes.

[
Blog
]
The credibility gap between AI ambition and production reality

This piece explains the AI credibility gap in wealth management, shows how AI washing appears, and outlines how teams move pilots into production.

[
Blog
]
The true cost of waiting to act on AI

A clear look at the cost of waiting on AI, with practical guidance on early use cases, risk controls, and where firms start seeing measurable gains.

[
Blog
]
Delivering AI value while you build the data foundation

A practical guide to sequencing AI use cases, foundation work, governance, and measurement so wealth firms can show value within 3 to 6 months.