Harvard Business Review honors article on how organizations can use generative AI to create competitive advantage

Harvard Business Review has named “The Gen AI Playbook for Organizations” the winner of the 2025 HBR Prize, awarded each year to the best article published in the magazine.

In the article, authors Bharat N. Anand and Andy Wu argue that leaders can’t afford a “wait and see” approach to generative AI—they need a clear plan for using it in ways that set them apart. Drawing on their research and experience leading gen AI initiatives, they introduce a framework for choosing where and how to use the technology across tasks, including which can be handled by AI and which require human oversight. They also outline steps organizations can take to differentiate how they create value with gen AI.

“’The Gen AI Playbook for Organizations’ tackles one of the most pressing management questions right now: how to apply AI more strategically,” said Amy Bernstein, Editor in Chief of Harvard Business Review. “Judges praised the article’s clear, coherent framework and the practical guidance that leaders can use right away.”

The HBR Prize, judged by an independent panel of business and academic leaders with input from members of HBR’s Advisory Board, spotlights the most outstanding article published each year in Harvard Business Review. The award was established in 1959 to recognize groundbreaking management thinking. This year’s announcement appears in the May-June issue of the magazine.

Bharat N. Anand is the Richard R. West Dean and a professor of business administration at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Andy Wu is the Arjun and Minoo Melwani Family Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School.

Three other articles were recognized as finalists for the 2025 HBR Prize:

• “How the Best Boards Engage with Management,” by Timothy J. Rowley and Laurence Capron
• “The Conflict-Intelligent Leader,” by Peter T. Coleman
• “How Savvy Companies Are Using Chinese AI,” by Amit Joshi, Mark J. Greeven, Sophie Liu, and Kunjian Li

The 2025 HBR Prize judges were: Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, former partner, Egon Zehnder; Heidi Gardner, distinguished fellow, Harvard Law School; Lynda Gratton, professor, London Business School; Sheena Iyengar, professor, Columbia Business School; Alex Liu, chairman emeritus and partner, Kearney; and Martin Reeves, former chair, BCG Henderson Institute.

About Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is the definitive global source for leadership and management ideas. Building on more than a century of influential thinking, HBR delivers research-backed insights and proven strategies—across print, digital, and events—to help leaders tackle their most pressing challenges, lead more effectively, and drive positive impact in a fast-changing world.

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