GVSU summit to explore societal impact of artificial intelligence
Grand Valley State University is bringing together national experts, policymakers and local leaders this week to tackle the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
GRAND RAPIDS — Grand Valley State University is bringing together national experts, policymakers and local leaders this week to tackle the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
The university will host “Humans in the Lead: Community AI Summit,” a free, all-day event on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the DeVos Center on GVSU’s City Campus. The summit aims to explore AI’s opportunities and challenges across various sectors, including economic development, workforce readiness, civil rights, and environmental sustainability.
Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, will deliver the keynote address. Conner is set to examine the intersection of AI, data centers, and environmental sustainability, focusing on how expanding technology infrastructure impacts local communities.
“Universities have a responsibility to connect academic knowledge with the decisions affecting people’s everyday lives,” said Mark Richards, a GVSU professor of political science and one of the summit’s organizers. “Artificial intelligence presents questions that no single discipline or institution can answer alone. By bringing researchers, policymakers, industry professionals and community members into the same conversation, we can strengthen public understanding and encourage more informed, responsible decision-making.”
Throughout the day, breakout sessions will dive into AI applications in business and industry, practical AI skills for the workplace, responsible innovation in health care, and the effects of emerging surveillance technologies on public safety and privacy.
The lineup of featured speakers includes:
- Tony Reames, Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice at the University of Michigan
- Kevin Jones, associate professor of management and AI strategist at Indiana University Columbus
- Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office
- Bryan Muir, Kent County sheriff
Organizers emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to navigating the future of the technology.
“Through this summit, we’re bringing together people who do not always sit at the same table because the future of AI is too important to be decided in silos,” said Kareem Scales, CEO of Scales Consulting and a summit organizer. “West Michigan has an opportunity to lead by demonstrating that technological progress and human progress must go hand in hand.”
The summit begins at 8:30 a.m. Registration and further information are available on the Grand Valley State University events webpage.
— Submitted by Grand Valley State University. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
