Driving Engagement and ROI with AI

How can AI elevate the way we work through how we learn? At Darden, we’ve found that the answers are not always obvious, but we're seeing progress at the intersection of the office and the classroom. Rather than replacing human roles, forward-thinking organizations are using AI to augment daily workflows, while our faculty and learners are leveraging it to create more personalized, high-impact development journeys. When anchored in learner-centered design, AI becomes a powerful bridge between professional performance and continuous education. Here are three examples of how this synergy is transforming both the corporate landscape and the professional development experience.

Large Scale Deployment to Enhance Customer Experience

Kroger uses AI across multiple functions including predictive modeling of customer trends and purchasing habits, optimizing delivery routes for drivers, and tailoring marketing campaigns by geography and promotion. Additionally, Kroger has developed a virtual assistant called "SAGE" that helps store leaders manage scheduling and operations more efficiently by providing quick answers and insights without the need for emails or meetings. This use of AI enables Kroger to turn vast amounts of customer and operational data into actionable insights, improving efficiency and customer experience across its nearly 2,800 stores and online platforms.

In our recent research study, The Future is Now America’s Human Resources and Talent Leads on AI and Learning at Work, published in partnership between UVA Darden Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning, the Stanford Center for Longevity and The Learning Society , Tim Massa, Kroger’s EVP and Chief Associate Experience Officer says “AI can free us up to serve our customers and work more collaboratively, and cross functionally with each other…it can help me be a better experience maker.” He added that Kroger’s efforts to marry emerging technologies and human skills are intended to give employees the power to improve customer experience more directly than before. "We believe AI can cut through [bureaucracy] so that we can be the servant leaders and help employees brighten somebody's day.” 

AI enabled Case Studies Drive Personalized Learning  

Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning’s partnership with Abilitie represents a strategic effort to modernize leadership development by integrating AI-powered simulations into its traditionally case-based teaching approach. These “AI cases” allow learners to engage in realistic, unscripted workplace scenarios, such as influencing stakeholders or navigating difficult conversations, where they can practice decision-making and communication skills in a low-risk environment while receiving immediate feedback and iterating on their approach.  

This innovation addresses a common gap in leadership education: moving from knowing concepts to applying them effectively in complex, interpersonal situations. At the same time, the partnership reflects Darden’s broader commitment to shaping the future of business education by combining experiential learning with emerging technologies and emphasizing the responsible, human-centered use of AI.

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“I imagined AI to be a bit different, by way of appearing more artificial. However, these representations [in program simulations] are realistic and engaging enough to make me feel confident in what I have learned and how to utilize it.”

- Barbara Gray, Department of Defense, on her experience with Abilitie’s AI
  simulations in Collaboration and Influence 

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Looking ahead, Darden continues to expand these simulations across programs and invest in faculty development and data insights to further enhance learning impact, positioning itself at the forefront of AI-enabled leadership education.

Cross-Organization Upskilling in Deploying New AI Strategies  

Kohler is exploring how AI can transform internal workflows across sales, customer service, and supply chain to unlock productivity gains, while also reimagining the customer experience through smarter, more seamless interactions.  

Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning’s partnership with Kohler represents a strategic effort to build organizational capability in AI by equipping leaders with the knowledge and tools to evaluate, implement, and scale AI initiatives. Here, learners develop foundational AI literacy, assess high-impact use cases aligned with the Kohler enterprise strategy, and learn how to move from experimentation to execution by measuring ROI, managing data, and addressing risks such as bias. 

“From my perspective, Kohler is similar to many large enterprises navigating this transition in that they’ve made meaningful investments in AI,” said Raj Venkatesan, Ronald Trzcinski Professor of Business Administration. “Leadership is signaling AI’s importance for future growth, and multiple pilots are underway to determine the right long-term strategic fit. It’s encouraging to see that their efforts map closely to the AI Marketing Canvas, reflecting a balanced and structured approach to integrating AI across the business,” Venkatesan added. 

Thriving in an AI-enabled world requires organizations to both work and learn with AI, embedding it into daily operations and workflows while continuously building capabilities for their employees. Organizations that see AI as an integrated ecosystem, connecting development, decision-making, and execution, will be strategically positioned to drive innovation and sustain long-term success.