AI Con USA 2025 - Business User
Customize your AI Con USA 2025 experience with sessions covering topics for business users.
Monday, June 9
Getting Started with AI and Machine Learning
Are you a software professional who would like to learn to use AI and machine learning (ML), but don't know how to get started? One of the best ways to get into ML is by designing and completing small projects. Although you will ultimately need to understand the fundamentals of AI/ML, there's no reason why you can't learn foundational terms, concepts and principles as you put them into practice. Join Dionny Santiago as he introduces you to the world of applied machine learning. Dionny will guide you through a series of ML projects end-to-end, enabling you to gain experience with creating...
Become an AI Power User
NewImpostering a bit in the AI-verse? Overwhelmed by daily AI announcements? Unsure you're using AI most effectively? Tiny bit of FOMO? We've got you covered! In this workshop, we'll help you become an AI Power User. Become a boss at your job, whatever your role or industry! We'll show you where AI shines and where you'll want to be careful, plus toss you lots of hands-on practice. In our time together, we'll help you pinpoint YOUR niche, build a custom AI assistant, and develop a comms strategy to show off your new skills. You'll walk out with cutting-edge knowledge, a prompt library...
Tuesday, June 10
This Is Our Agent, We Make the Call
NewAgents! Finally, a term that might be even more over-hyped than AI! But what exactly are Agents, and more importantly, how do you use them? Where do Agents fit within the overall AI toolkit? What capabilities do they add, and what tasks can they help us perform? Dona and Jeremiah will help you gain a solid understanding of Agents and the fundamental components of an Agent-based AI system. You’ll learn key design principles for Agents, as well as when to leverage them and scenarios where they may not be the best choice. We'll cover how to identify business problems that are well-suited for...
Wednesday, June 11
Best Practices for Using AI for Structured Data Extraction
Structured data extraction, or data tagging, is one of the easiest and impactful applications of modern AI. Before the wide availability of pre-trained AI models, the process of “understanding” unstructured data either required constructing complex heuristic logic or investing in a machine learning team who could train models in-house. Now, cheap and powerful tagging machines are an API call away, redefining what is possible for how we can understand our data. In this talk, I'll share how we’ve used AI at Yahoo News to improve our content understanding pipelines. Yahoo was a pioneer in...
The Impact of AI on Developer Productivity
Generative AI tools hold promise to increase human productivity. In the world of software development, GitHub Copilot was one of the first practical applications of the use of generative AI to support developer productivity. However, measuring software productivity is non-trivial. For example, developer productivity gains is more than just producing code faster. If these artifacts don’t meet quality standards or themselves bring cost efficiency challenges then there may not be much overall improvement. To truly understand the benefits and challenges of AI-powered copilots requires real-...
Mastering Prompt Engineering: Unlocking the Power of Prompt Patterns and Meta-Prompting Technique
As AI becomes increasingly central to professional workflows, the ability to craft effective prompts has emerged as a crucial skill. While many users struggle with trial-and-error approaches, this session introduces a systematic framework for prompt engineering based on proven patterns and and meta-prompting techniques. You'll learn how to apply specific prompt patterns such as persona, meta-language creation, and flipped interaction, and more, to achieve consistently better results. You will then explore meta-prompting - a powerful technique where AI assists in generating, refining, and...
Operationalizing Disruptive Technologies: A Strategic Framework for Harnessing the Power of GenAI
The advent of disruptive technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence, has ushered in a new era of possibilities and challenges. This talk proposes a comprehensive framework for operationalizing disruptive technologies, specifically focusing on the transformative potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). As organizations grapple with integrating GenAI into their operations, there is a pressing need for a structured approach that addresses technical, ethical, and organizational considerations. Mary will delve into a strategic framework designed to guide businesses in...
AI for Real People—Panel
We have heard a LOT of hype about AI and AGI and ASI and all of the nonsense. But in year 3 of Generative AI, people are actually moving beyond talking and finding real value in AI. Come and hear from REAL AI implementers about how AI is having an impact on businesses across the board including small businesses, non-profits, big companies, and more.
Thursday, June 12
AI at Scale: Balancing Innovation, Governance, and Risk in Large Organizations
As AI reshapes industries, large organizations must scale innovation while upholding governance, security, and ethical responsibility. Deploying AI at scale isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a strategic balancing act between agility and compliance, risk and reward. Andreas Bohman, CIO at the University of Washington, will discuss strategies to drive AI-powered innovation without compromising regulatory obligations, operational effectiveness, or public trust. He will share governance strategies that enable innovation rather than restrict it. He’ll also talk about addressing critical...