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The Work  /  AI for Practitioners
AEIC Center for Operational Excellence · August to November 2026

Bring a real problem. Leave with a plan to fix it.

A six-module live program for the utility operations people who decide what gets piloted, shelved, or championed. Not strategy slides, not data science: the working command to put AI to use on a problem you actually have.

Why this program exists

AI is the last 10 percent. Your data, experience, and judgment are the first 90.

Most utility AI efforts skip the foundational work and reach for the tool first. This course reverses that. It starts with the organizational and data work that lets AI actually deliver value, and it is built around one real problem you bring from your own operation.

At a glance

AI for Practitioners

FormatLive on Microsoft Teams, 60 minutes
CadenceEvery other Thursday, 4:00 PM ET
DatesAugust 27 to November 12, 2026
SeatsUnlimited per member utility
Led byDr. Elizabeth Cook, with Bryan Stealey (Morgantown.AI)
Who it is for

Built for the operating layer.

Middle managers, process owners, supervisors, the people at member utilities who decide what gets piloted, shelved, or championed. You need to understand your own operational role; you do not need any technical background.

Not built for executives looking for strategy slides, or data scientists looking for technical depth. There are better rooms for both.

What you walk away with
  • A cumulative playbook. Assembled across all six modules, yours to keep and put to work.
  • A use case for your utility. A specific, named opportunity surfaced from your own operation.
  • A 90-day sprint plan. With a named beneficiary, a success metric, and kill criteria.
  • A data landscape map. Your sources, owners, and quality flags, in one picture.
  • An ownership picture. Built with the AEIC Decision Rights Model, so everyone knows who decides.
  • A tool evaluation. Your options scored against four practical questions, not vendor hype.
  • A peer network. Twenty to thirty practitioners from other utilities, working the same problems.
The curriculum

Six modules, start to finish.

Each module answers one question a practitioner actually asks, building toward your own 90-day sprint plan.

Module 01

AI Meets Your World

“What can this actually do for me?”

Module 02

Know Your Data

“What is the foundation under everything?”

Module 03

Who Decides What?

“How do decisions actually get made here?”

Module 04

The Right Tool for the Job

“What should we use, and when?”

Module 05

From Pilot to Production

“How do we make it stick?”

Module 06

Building the Future Together

“How do we bring everyone along?”

The schedule

Six Thursdays, every other week.

Each session runs 60 minutes at 4:00 PM ET on Microsoft Teams, opens with a 15 to 20 minute spotlight from a peer utility practitioner, and is recorded for catch-up.

August 27, 2026
Module 1 · AI Meets Your World
September 10, 2026
Module 2 · Know Your Data
September 24, 2026
Module 3 · Who Decides What?
October 8, 2026
Module 4 · The Right Tool for the Job
October 29, 2026
Module 5 · From Pilot to Production
November 12, 2026
Module 6 · Building the Future Together
Who is leading it

Run by AEIC. Taught hands-on.

Dr. Elizabeth Cook
Program Director · VP of Technical Strategy, AEIC Center for Operational Excellence
ecook@aeic.org
Bryan Stealey
Curriculum Architect & Lead Instructor · Owner, Morgantown.AI
bryan@morgantown.ai
Companion track

Executive Leadership Advanced Analytics

For executives and their teams, the Center also runs a six-module analytics and AI fluency course, launched Fall 2025 and available now. The two are built to reinforce each other, top to bottom.

See the executive track
FAQ

The things people ask first.

How much time will this take?

One 60-minute live session every other Thursday, plus a short pre-work video before each.

What if I miss a session?

Every session is recorded and shared, so you can catch up on your own time.

We are not technical. Is this for us?

Yes. No coding required. It is built for operations managers, not data scientists.

How is this different from a generic online AI course?

It is live, peer-led, and focused on your real work. You leave with an executable plan, not a certificate.

How do I sign up?

Enroll online or contact Dr. Cook directly. Details are on the program page.

Bring a real problem. Leave with a plan to fix it.

Enroll your utility's practitioners, or reach Dr. Cook directly at 412-760-2186 to talk through fit.

Enroll your utility