The future of artificial intelligence explored at first-of-its-kind summit at Hancock College

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and the workforce was the featured topic during a first-of-its-kind summit being held Friday at Allan Hancock College.

The six-hour gathering brought dozens of people from on and outside the campus including faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and community members to learn about what AI is.

"We are looking to bridge the gap between faculty knowing how to embrace AI in their coursework and curriculum, how to work with students as they understand how to work with AI, and know what the parameters are," said Nancy Jo Ward, Allan Hancock College Media Arts Faculty, who help organize the event. "We are offering workshops and are getting information from our Chancellor's office. AI is a constantly moving subject and there's a lot of fear and anxiety around AI. We have our celebrants and we have our people that are naysayers, and we're providing an opportunity for discourse."

Hancock College said the first-ever event is part of the school’s commitment to innovation and preparing students and the community for success in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

"It's here," said Ward. "It's not going away, so the more we can be at the forefront of that to support knowledge around, I think that it positions Hancock in the best place. We want to support our faculty who have anxiety. We want to support them to celebrate the use of AI as a tool for efficiency. We want them to be able to support students and their understanding of the limitations and possibly the risks of AI. It's a conversation that's not going away."

More than 200 people attended the summit that included keynote presentations, breakout sessions and panel discussions with experts from both education and industry.

Over the course of the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn about AI trends, its practical applications, ethical considerations, and how AI is shaping the future of learning and employment.