Welcome to the Heartland AI Symposium!

Since the beginning, the goal of the Heartland AI Symposium, previously known as the K-State AI Symposium, and before that, the AI and the Future Symposium, has been to bring people together to discuss deeply the impact that AI has made on our lives, as community members, students, academics, researchers, workers, and people. The heart of the symposium lies within the idea that humans should be at the center of AI advancements. In the past, we have tackled challenging concepts from accountability of self-driving cars to the ethics of AI. As we move ahead, steadily and securely like the bison facing a storm, we embrace the advances AI brings, while always staying curious, critical, and creative. But we cannot face this new challenge alone, we must come together, across disciplines, industries, ideologies, and personal perspectives, to create a bright and beautiful future. Like the sunflower, we face the sun and look to the future with hope. Like the bison, we are steady and strong, confident we are up for the challenge.

As the Director, I wholeheartedly welcome you to the Heartland AI Symposium! We are happy to have you join the conversation!

~Dr. Raelynne Hale