Summit touts technology as a boon for business

John Pasmore, founder and CEO of Latimer AI, delivered the keynote speech during the SNHU AI Summit in Hooksett last week.

Artificial intelligence is no longer just on the horizon — it’s here, it’s moving fast, and it’s across all sectors of daily life.

That’s the message that organizers wanted to convey about the limitless power of AI during the 2024 AI Summit, “Shaping the Future of AI in Education, Business, and Society,” last week at Southern New Hampshire University.

The lively two-day summit took place virtually and in-person at the college on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and virtually on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Its goals, put forth by the SNHU AI Summit 2024 Organizational Committee, included providing updates on AI’s developments, discussing future trends, and highlighting innovations and practical applications of AI to foster collaboration and networking.

“This event underscores our commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and preparing our community for the future,” says Eirwyn Zhang, SNHU AI Summit program director.

Sessions discussed advancements in AI across the sectors of education, business and society in efforts to expand the knowledge base of AI between the academic world and the broader society.

More than 31 speakers — industry leaders and panel experts, including some from SNHU — presented 25 sessions across several tracks. About 75 people attended the summit in-person, and virtual attendance varied as people joined and left sessions.

“Due to the fluctuating number of virtual attendees, my best estimate is that we had around 200 attendees initially, though this number decreased over time,” says Zhang.

Some AI advancements discussed during the summit included its use in education settings and in curriculum design, and as a financial management tool. The benefits of applying AI in health care diagnostics and treatment planning, and the ethics and implications toward biases, privacy and transparency of using AI were also discussed during sessions and in group chats.

Several SNHU faculty speakers tackled sessions, among them “AI and Robotics for Social Good,” “Future of Work and AI-Driven Skills” and “Business Innovation and Digital Transformation.”

SNHU president Lisa Marsh Ryerson and John Pasmore, founder and CEO of Latimer, during the twoday AI Summit 2024: Shaping the Future of AI in Education, Business and Society last week at SNHU.

Early in her presentation, “Transform AI From a Potential Threat to Your Greatest Career Ally,” Sonja Moffett, a career engagement partner and business adjunct instructor at SNHU, targeted her presentation toward MBA and grad students, although people in various backgrounds were also the focus.

”My audience is not for the new entry-level professional. It is for those who are working in leadership, business analytics and decision-makers. It is about survival and career sustainability in the age of AI,” Moffett said in an email.

Moffett sought to dispel the notion that people need to know everything about artificial intelligence in order to use it.

“People say, ‘I’m not an AI expert’ — but you could be.

Instead of waiting for something to happen, it may be time to make something happen,” Moffett said in her intro.

Moffett positioned AI’s role in business as an “ally” and a “career plan” toolbox. It’s best, she said, to view the technology not from a threat mindset but as an opportunity to help people’s careers. AI should also be part of any business leader’s toolbox. Leveraging the technology to work for people instead of against them can reframe AI as a limitless resource, she says.

Moffett also gave a nod to the idea that AI is essentially “stealing” ideas. In fact, the opposite is true, she says.

Moffett brought to mind the billionaire business mogul Elon Musk and his forays into humanoid robots, calling the stratospheric rise of AI “the fear of the unknown.”

But there’s a way to mitigate the threat, she says. The more you know about the enemy, the less scary it is.

Moffett presented a business case study for session attendees to ponder to show how users can be their own “subject matter experts.”

To make her case, Moffett posed a few questions to the group: Identify problems at your job, propose solutions, and then add the “what if.”

She began by encouraging participants to answer the question: “Our company or industry needs to find a better way to ‘blank.’”

Pinpointing IT issues or identifying software upgrades can highlight what’s holding the company back, she said.

Then, participants were told to propose three solutions to those problems. AI can’t necessarily supply answers, since those answers are already in the world and online, she says. Instead, users who plug in their own human ingenuity and insight will initiate AI to come up with new solutions — from ideas that you helped start.

Start with ingenuity first: That’s your ally, she says.

Moffett encouraged attendees to be a “strategist and a visionary.” Once you introduce the “what if” scenario, you’re initiating the chance to think like a strategist.

AI is a form of predictive analysis that’s always evolving and learning. Because of this, it may provide incorrect information, so it’s imperative to fact-check whatever it presents. In this way, AI is a consultant that’s working with you instead of against you.

Summarize the solution and check its feasibility, she says.

“Fine-tune the AI so that you can become the subject matter expert,” instead of AI, Moffett says.

AI is here to stay, agrees Eirwyn Zhang, AI Summit program director.

“AI is rapidly becoming an indispensable part of modern life, offering numerous benefits that make it essential for individuals and organizations to embrace it now,” says Zhang in an email.

Acting as an enhanced time-saver, AI can boost businesses’ efficiency, he says. By letting employees put less attention toward menial tasks and more energy toward honing strategies and building creativity, Zhang says, AI will increase productivity.

AI’s ability to quickly process data can also create space within companies, and their employees, to develop new insights that may one day lead to breakthroughs across all sectors, including health care, education, finance, business and life, Zhang says.

Laurie Lewis, a clinical faculty coordinator at SNHU who attended Moffett’s session, wanted to learn about AI’s applications directly from experts and find out more about upcoming trends.

“The rapidly evolving AI landscape makes continuous learning crucial, and firsthand insights are invaluable,” Lewis says in an email.

Lewis agreed with Moffett that the goal isn’t necessarily to become an “AI expert,” but rather to learn how to apply AI tools successfully in your field. Seeing AI’s potential rather than its drawbacks can enhance a company, not hurt it, and positively impact its users.

“Those who can identify opportunities to integrate AI into existing workflows, interpret AI-generated insights and bridge the gap between technical and business teams are becoming increasingly valuable,” says Lewis.

“AI’s integration into business isn’t just changing companies — it’s revolutionizing career paths,” says Lewis.