AI Summit Highlights Campus Research

The conversation began on a Thursday morning in the Joy Burns Center's Tuscan Ballroom. Faculty, students, staff, members of the community and industry professionals gathered among piles of sticky notes, Sharpies and scratch paper to talk about artificial intelligence.

At the University of Denver's first AI Summit, hosted by Jeremy Haefner, DU's provost and executive vice chancellor, as well as Project X-ITE, the spotlight was on harnessing the AI work already happening on campus and channeling it to improve the community. Through a full day of unconventional, interactive sessions (the event was known as an "un-conference" for the way it departed from traditional format), participants searched for DU's role in the ever-expanding world of artificial intelligence. What are the things propelling DU forward? What's holding it back? How can the institution best prepare its students for a landscape that is constantly updating and changing?

The discussion on April 11 was a starting point. It will take more than a day to tackle the so-called "big, hairy problems" of the world. But by working collaboratively, Pioneers from across campus left encouraged that there are realistic ways to make progress in AI, automation, big data and the future of work. These are the first steps toward a more robust AI footprint on campus: forming a steering committee, launching a University-wide initiative, testing ideas from the Summit and creating an action plan so DU's diverse community can use AI to serve the public good.