On May 5, LebNet hosted its first dual-city event, drawing around 60 attendees in Montreal and Toronto for a lively, cross-city conversation on one of the most exciting frontiers in emerging technology: Agentic AI: AI systems that can make decisions, set goals, and act independently. This groundbreaking format brought together two inspiring AI leaders, each live from their respective cities, to explore the true potential and pressing challenges of this next-generation technology.
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The event kicked off with Fadwa Mohanna, Founder and CEO of ONE37 in Toronto, who tackled the evolution of AI toward Agentic AI—autonomous systems that plan, reason, and act to achieve goals without constant human input. Unlike generative AI, which focuses on content creation, agentic AI integrates logic, memory, and external tools for real-world task execution. A key emerging component is the Model
Context Protocol (MCP): a framework that enables AI agents to access and interact with external systems and data sources in real time. MCP enhances multi-domain functionality and contextual awareness, making agentic AI more capable and scalable. While emphasizing the transformative potential of this technology across multiple sectors, she listed its perceived risks, while underscoring the importance of Responsible AI to ensure safe, ethical AI deployment.
Rania Afiouni Monla, Assistant Professor at the School of Business at UQAM and Advisory Board Member for AI Ethics, joined live from Montreal to explore the impact of agentic AI on work. Her presentation examined how this technology is reshaping job roles, required skills, and workplace dynamics. Rania stressed the importance of new competencies, including critical thinking, empathy, AI literacy, and the ability to effectively delegate to AI agents. She also highlighted the urgency for strategic AI planning, given the rapid growth of this field and the significant workforce disruptions it may bring.
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Key Trends and Insights:
- Growth and Momentum: The field is experiencing rapid expansion, driven by significant funding, research, and commercial interest across multiple sectors.
- Market Impact: Early adopters stand to benefit from substantial economic opportunities as agentic AI disrupts traditional business models and creates new competitive advantages.
- Challenges and Considerations: Despite its promise, agentic AI poses challenges around safety, ethics, regulatory oversight, and technical complexity, requiring thoughtful development to ensure alignment with human values.
LebNet is excited to have brought this timely conversation to both cities, creating meaningful connections among tech professionals while delving into the future of AI. A heartfelt thank you to our expert leaders Fadwa Mohanna and Rania Afiouni Monla, and to the Montreal and Toronto communities for their enthusiastic participation and support in making this event a resounding success. Stay tuned for deeper conversations on the transformative impact of AI across various industries.
Below are Fadwa’s and Rania’s presentations and additional resources for this meeting:
