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March 5, 2024
OSHKOSH — According to Forbes, 43% of businesses are concerned about technology dependence, and an additional 35% worry about having the technical skills to use artificial intelligence (AI) effectively.
It’s a topic many people want to better understand.
An upcoming half-day conference in Oshkosh hopes to help people do just that.
AmplifyIT 2024 — which will be held from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 7 at the Culver Family Welcome Center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (UWO) — is designed for everyone, from industry experts to people who are new to AI, but want to learn more.
The conference will feature a keynote address from a national AI expert and deep dives into how AI may impact different industry sectors.
Amplify is a program of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, which aims to grow the awareness of opportunities surrounding all aspects of IT throughout the Oshkosh community.
The keynote
Christina “CK” Kerley, a corporate trainer, speaker and instructor at Rutgers University, will kick off the event with a keynote address on “Navigating the AI Frontier.”
Kerley said people may have a lot of questions about AI but many miss a key point — that technology can improve our lives.
“AI can elevate our work and improve the quality of our lives,” she said. “AI is not here to replace us. It can take care of some tasks that take up time. I read that we spend three weeks every year coordinating meetings. You take that off our plate and give it to AI to do and suddenly, you have more time to pursue what you want. We’ve been doing the jobs of robots for far too long.”
Kerley said eliminating mundane tasks will allow people to focus on bigger ideas and innovate more at work.
“We are also entering the age of ideas,” she said. “Everyone now has these great, simple tools at their fingertips and can be used to create more innovation. AI will provide us more time for our projects, passions and people.”
Kerley said businesses focusing on their talent and customers, not just technology, will be the ones who find the most success.
“AI showcases and fosters a skills-centric marketplace and ignites an unprecedented reskilling revolution,” she said. “The future will be won by businesses that don’t solely focus on new technologies, but also on customers’ evolving expectations.”
Kerley said change is happening fast and people and businesses need to invent, re-invent and then repeat.
“Think of yourself as a GPS — you need to keep learning and recalibrating,” she said. “I am looking forward to the Oshkosh event and learning a lot from the other presenters.”
Break-out sessions
AmplifyIT 2024 also includes four deep-dive sessions, which include:
Mo Abuali — Wipfli’s director of digital strategy of manufacturing, retail and distribution — will discuss how manufacturers can save money by decreasing unplanned downtime by leveraging the industrial internet of things (IIoT), AI technologies and metrics to achieve greater efficiency and productivity on the shop floor.Micki Boland — a global architect and cybersecurity warrior at Checkpoint Software Technologies — will discuss some of the cyber risks related to AI and how businesses can utilize AI without inheriting the risks involved with the technology.Deb Norton and Lisa Graf with the Oshkosh Area School District and Dr. Jakob Iversen, a professor and associate dean with UWO’s College of Business will discuss how AI is being used in education, including enhancing classroom instruction and fostering discussions around the benefits and challenges AI can provide.Tim Dively — CLA’s national digital growth director — will discuss the latest trends and developments in AI and how they are being used in the finance industry.
Amplify Oshkosh Manager Colan Treml said the response to the upcoming event has been strong, showing how many people are interested in learning more about AI and how it impacts their lives.
Registration for the event costs $69 and includes a welcome bag, breakfast, snacks and beverages.
For more information or to register, visit amplifyoshkosh.com.
