On June 22, Maclean’s and Toronto Life partnered with Amazon Canada to host a panel called AI, Robotics and The Future of Work at the TOOR Hotel in Toronto. The event started with a performance by Canadian drag performer Van Goth, winner of season six of Canada’s Drag Race. Jason Maghanoy, publisher of Maclean’s, moderated the panel, opening with remarks about AI being integrated into everything and asking what skills are required in the new future economy. Panelists included Tonya Hallett, Amazon Vice President for People, eXperience & Technology (PXT), who said AI has shifted how people do their work but that skills like curiosity, creativity, communication and judgment remain valuable. Tomi Gbeleyi, a Go-To-Market executive at CoLab, highlighted that small businesses are at risk of being left behind and stated, “AI is going to impact every sector.” The panel agreed that AI tools must be paired with training, support and access, and that greater adoption will require trust. Diya Wynn, Principal Responsible AI Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS), argued that it is ultimately cheaper and quicker to develop responsibly.