At Cincinnati’s first CincyAI Week, the buzz was apparent as 8th Light stood to enter the conference venue as a member of the event’s host committee. Attendees mingled, discussing what excited them most about the conference while waiting for the keynote. Already, I could tell attendees had shown up with learner’s mindsets set on artificial intelligence.
Carl Fraik and Pete Blackshaw set the tone — encouraging us to think optimistically about AI during their fireside chat. Both shared a e passion for community inclusion and responsible, human-centered ways to use AI to lift up the 2.3 million residents in the area and beyond.
At the keynote with Ravit Dotan, PhD we learned about “ethics washing” from a study she conducted along with EthicsGrade (available at TechBetter.ai). Of 254 companies with public disclosures regarding AI ethics and principles, only 27% had exercised implementations of these principles in action. We need to walk the talk!
In the afternoon, the 8th Light team held an immersive workshop on AI governance where attendees had the opportunity to walk the talk. The session included facilitated discussions on how to work through societal, business, and technology impacts AI may have on organizations. Attendees practiced operationalizing governance in an integrated, holistic way by involving diverse perspectives.
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On Day 2, the 8th Light team was joined by Brad Gardner and Beau Heubach to illuminate how both workforce upskilling and software development practices are changing. The audience asked insightful questions on what the best uses of AI are based on our experience, how we select and manage emerging technologies, and what process changes they might need to be prepared for across product, design, and engineering.
One month after the event, what stood out most was the commitment to leveraging technology for improving the lives of the communities and provide more equitable access to knowledge on working with AI technologies. It is clear that Cincinnati, along with the broader midwest region, have relevant and valuable contributions to this journey.
Thank you to Enterprise Technology Association and Cincinnati AI Catalyst for founding this event and inviting us to participate in the community.
