Communities of practice offer space to explore the future of AI
As technology evolves, so does its community of users. The introduction of generative artificial intelligence (AI) brought a new wave of enthusiasts, spanning industries and levels of expertise alike.
Convening these groups is critical to expanding our collective knowledge when it comes to meaningful, ethical and diverse uses of AI. One such growing community meets in collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU).
On February 26, the AI Salon Greater Phoenix's AI Event Series gathered at Scottsdale’s Skysong building, also the home of ASU’s Artificial Intelligence Cloud Innovation Center (CIC).
Interested minds, including AI investors and technology experts, gathered to explore the trajectory and future implications of AI.
The event is co-hosted by venture capital investor Jeff Abbott, alongside ASU’s Deputy Chief Information Officer John Rome and General Manager for the AI CIC Ryan Hendrix. The group noted that the goal of the monthly event is to create an environment that caters to both seasoned AI experts and newcomers alike.
"By anchoring the Greater Phoenix AI Salon at ASU, we're leveraging the immense potential of our university as a beacon of knowledge and innovation,” said Hendrix. “AI Salon is more than a gathering, it's a launchpad for ideas that will shape the way we live, work and interact."
The nearly 70 attendees were presented with some of the latest AI trends and developments, including the AI Innovation Challenge, which invites ASU faculty and staff to chart the use of ChatGPT Enterprise in academic, research and work environments. Additionally, the group examined new AI-tools including Sora (OpenAI’s upcoming text-to-video generative AI interface) and Perplexity.Ai (which is expected to impact the search engine industry).
The event also invites local AI entrepreneurs to share their journeys. This month featured George Slessman, technology visionary and co-founder and CEO of cr8dl.ai. The ASU alumnus offered his insights and predictions on the future of AI and the energy consumption required to power such tools. Slessman surfaced considerations around the types of energy provisions that high-volume AI computing is expected to require in the future, underscoring the need to scale the proliferation of AI technologies intelligently.
ASU Barrett Honors College student, author and AI artist Camille Campbell also presented on the many ways that AI is changing artistic endeavors, including for fields such as graphic design, writing, fashion and interior design and the culinary arts.
"Al Salon is a global community bringing together startup founders and builders, investors and partners to connect and collaborate,” Abbott shared. “The [Al Salon] is a decentralized, chapter-based model that provides a platform for others to find out about Al events, as well as where Al startups and their partners can get visibility online. And we're expanding with chapters are already forming in other United States cities, the European Union and Latin America.”
There is quite a bit on the horizon for AI enthusiasts.
AI Salon Phoenix is a free, monthly event series. AI Salon Phoenix’s next event at the Skysong building is currently slated for March 26th – to join the conversation, register here.