UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's AI and the Economy Initiative brings together policymakers, practitioners and researchers from across the United States to exchange knowledge about the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the economy and society. The initiative will host its fall workshop Oct. 27-28 at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in State College. Activities will take place from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 28.
The program will feature external speakers from industry, including Amazon and Instacart; policy, such as the Federal Reserve; and academia, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; alongside leaders of the University's AI transformation, including Vasant Honavar, vice provost for artificial intelligence; Corey Phelps, the John and Karen Arnold Dean of the Smeal College of Business; and Ran Shorrer, associate professor of economics in the College of the Liberal Arts.
Registration is required for this free workshop is open to the Penn State community. More information, including registration information and a list of presenters, can be found on the AI and the Economy Initiative website.
The AI and the Economy Initiative is an interdisciplinary cross-college collaboration. The initiative’s previous workshops, held in April and May, drew nearly 350 participants and sparked discussions on both AI’s emerging effects on society and its potential to advance research and inform policy. The events create space for new connections — sparking conversations, surfacing shared interests and laying out the groundwork for future collaborations across institutions and fields.
Penn State is shaping the future of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence. Our focus is on human-centered, ethical AI innovation that delivers meaningful impacts for Penn State and the broader community. Through visionary planning, strategic partnerships, targeted hiring and strategic investments, we will equip every Penn State student, staff and faculty member with the AI-related knowledge, experience and confidence they need to succeed in the AI-powered future. Learn more at psu.edu/ai.