Session 3
Thursday, 18 June 2026 · 1 hour
The recurring AI Office Hours event covers every session — adding it once gets you all of them.
Third AI Office Hours. Walk the latest Solution Library and Ideas queue updates, run associate demos, and walk the next AI Brief digest.
Run of show
| Time | Beat |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Welcome + recap — what happened since Session 2, what's new on the hub |
| 0:03 | Review the Solution Library + Ideas queue — new entries, status changes, what's been triaged |
| 0:13 | Associate demo — confirmed — Stephen Killion (Sales) on the Big 3 POS Agentic AI, a Databricks Data Lakehouse–native AI agent that answers natural-language questions against SMG POS data (~2.5B rows, ~500 columns). Walks through the use case, setup, and training, plus 2–3 live questions against the agent |
| 0:28 | Associate demo — confirmed — Mathieu Valotaire (Finance, Canada) on the AI-as-personal-programmer pattern — using Gemini to write VBA + AppScript that stitches SAP, Excel, and Google Suite into automated finance workflows. Process-focused walkthrough (how they got there), with concrete wins like a rental-tracker reconciliation cut from ~1,710 → ~190 min/month across 38 sites |
| 0:43 | Latest in enterprise AI — walk the top AI Brief pick from the new fortnight digest |
| 0:48 | Open mic / Q&A |
| 0:58 | Topics for next session — what to cover in Session 4 |
| 1:00 | Hard stop |
Pre-read (optional)
- How to Participate — ground rules and norms
- Solution Library — what's been added since 2026-06-04
- Ideas — current queue and triage notes
After the session
Q&A distilled from what came up live — the takeaways most relevant to associates.
Can Gemini analyze multiple tabs in a Google Sheet at once?
Yes — Jacob Sawmiller demoed a new Gemini sidebar feature in Sheets that cross-references multiple tabs simultaneously for graph generation and broader data analysis. Access it via right-click in the Gemini sidebar. It's part of the Gemini Enterprise suite; Aditya is coordinating with Michael Lockwood to clarify whether it will require an add-on cost. Watch the AI Hub for an update.
Are there usage limits on Gemini Pro, and what happens when I hit them?
Yes. Several attendees have been rolled back to the standard Gemini tier after exceeding their Pro allotment. Aditya will post specifics on the AI Hub after working through details with workspace admin Michael Lockwood. If you've hit a limit, watch for that update.
What is NotebookLM best for, and is the Google Drive sync issue fixed?
Deep research and concept comprehension. NotebookLM restricts its answers to documents you explicitly upload — PDFs, spreadsheets, etc. — which makes it significantly less likely to hallucinate than a general-purpose chat. It also generates mind maps, flashcards, and podcast-style summaries. The Google Drive auto-sync issue is now resolved; NotebookLM stays current with your Drive without manual re-uploads. Braeden Meier is testing whether this covers automated weekly report loading and will report back at Session 4.
What is DataBricks Genie, and can I use it without knowing SQL?
DataBricks Genie is the natural-language interface to SMG's data lakehouse. Stephen Killion demoed it against the POS database (~2.5B rows, ~500 columns) — you ask a question in plain English and it generates the SQL query on the fly. You can audit that SQL to verify the logic, and you can vote answers up or down to improve accuracy over time. Important caveat: Genie requires upfront configuration — defining terms, setting filters (e.g., what counts as a "weekend"), and establishing defaults — to prevent it from hallucinating interpretations. A governance framework is in progress with Hamst to standardize aliases and model ownership across teams.
Can I use AI to automate my SAP data exports?
Yes. Mathieu Valotaire walked through using Gemini to write VBA macros that pull financial reports from SAP automatically — a process that used to take hours now runs in about a minute. The approach: record your manual SAP steps, paste a screenshot into Gemini, and ask it to write the macro. Note that cloud SAP doesn't support Apps Script, so VBA is the required path until SMG migrates to S/4HANA. Aditya is planning a dedicated SAP automation deep-dive session — more details coming.
What's the AI governance conversation about — cover sheets and watermarks?
Jesse West raised whether SMG should adopt visible governance mechanisms like cover sheets or watermarks on AI-generated content. Aditya confirmed this is on the agenda and will carve out dedicated time in a future session to discuss it properly.
What's new on the team?
Rob Bowron joined the AI CoE. He's currently working with Natalie to transition the agency brief tool from a Gem into a full production-grade Bloom agent.