The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Emerging Tech Conference held March 7 at Howard L. Hawks Hall sold out as business professionals, engineers, academics and students gathered to learn about the latest technological advancements and their impact on business, engineering and society. The College of Business and College of Engineering planned the conference, which featured industry-leading speakers and engaging discussions on the future of AI, digital transformation and emerging technologies with support provided by an anonymous donor.
Brian Ardinger kicked off the Emerging Tech Conference to a sold-out crowd, sharing how to be an innovator.
Laurie Miller, associate dean of undergraduate programs and curriculum and associate professor of practice in economics at the College of Business, remarked on the overwhelming response.
“The enthusiasm for this year’s conference was incredible. We knew the interest in emerging technology was strong, but the speed at which we sold out exceeded our expectations,” she said. “This conference brought together brilliant minds across disciplines to explore how technology is reshaping industries and society, and we are thankful for our sponsors who helped make it possible.”
Keynote and Sessions Deliver Expert Insights
Sponsored in part by the Harris Family and GlaxoSmith Kline, Noelle Russell, founder and chief artificial intelligence officer of the AI Leadership Institute, delivered a compelling keynote address on the rapid evolution of AI and its impact on business and innovation. Russell was the only woman and Latina on the team that developed Alexa at Amazon, and she was also the only mother, caregiver for aging parents and cat owner.
“I didn't how dramatic this would be, as I was the only one who thought certain ways — divergent thinking. Every time I do something, typically the first response that I get is 'That's crazy.' Understanding the problems in a specific space is the superpower, and we are in a moment where we have more powers than ever,” Russell said. “Most companies are in the 'baby tiger' mode with a new model and not asking what happens as it grows. They need to ask what happens when this model goes up and we use it to do real things that impact real lives. Everyone's got to be a leader and build solutions. If you innovate on behalf of people, yourself and your family, the world will catch up.”
Brian Ardinger, director of innovation at Nelnet, kicked off the conference with his session, “The Current State of Emerging Technology.” He provided an in-depth look at the fast-paced changes shaping industries and how we all can become more innovative.
“Since 2000, 52% of the Fortune 500 companies have merged, been acquired or gone bankrupt, so they have been transformed fundamentally. In the top ten companies in the world right now, 30% didn't even exist in the year 2000,” Ardinger said. “By 2030, 70% of skills used for most jobs will change. Technology is a rapid accelerant. We have to define innovation differently — it's just transforming your ideas into a valuable outcome and if you do that, everybody can be an innovator. You have the chance to accelerate your own new ideas, things that you see in your world and create innovation and value.”
In "Navigating Risk in Emerging Technology — A Business Case," Lauren Goodell, '14, CEO of Zinnia, and Jack O’Holleran, '05, CEO of Skale Labs, discussed managing uncertainty in emerging tech investments. Goodell shared how AI has been around for a long time and her hypothesis for the future.
Chafik Barbar, CEO of Marble Technologies; Mailani Veney, '06 MBA, CEO of Kana Systems; and Jesús Rosario, senior partnerships manager at Coursera, spoke on a panel moderated by Clay Farris Naff, journalist and science writer.
“The first documented, mainstream use of artificial intelligence was with email filters in 1956. Today, over 65% of companies are either actively using AI or using it as a big initiative to implement over the next year, and companies that are using it have a 35% higher chance of beating their competitors,” Goodell said. “My hypothesis is that AI in business is actually going to drive the need for real communication. We are actually seeing with these AI email tools and mass automation that there are almost 12 times as many emails being sent today than there were a year ago, and because of that, response rates for these emails are going down to less than 1% in the sales industry. They're calling this the great ignore. People want real human connection. AI should automate tasks and augment relationships, but people buy from people.”
M. R. Hasan, assistant professor of big data and artificial intelligence in the College of Engineering, and
Julia McQuillan, professor of sociology, examined ethical considerations in AI development in the session, "The AI Alignment Problem: Technical Challenges and Societal Implications." Hasan emphasized how ensuring AI aligns with human values and intentions is critical for the future.
“AI is unlike any information technology we have encountered in history because it has some level of agency. It can make decisions on its own. It is ubiquitous. It's pervasive. But it has flaws such as hallucination — misinterpreting or making up information that isn’t there — high rates of inaccuracy, bias problems and others. I argue that at the core of this AI problem is the way we develop it. We have been creating these systems in an uncontrolled fashion. We show a bunch of data to it, then we apply the algorithm to some engineering trick. We should have identified the core elements of intelligence and situational context and applied those so we can design AI that is somewhat aligned with our human values and intentions. We need to move beyond masking the symptoms, patching problems, and fixing the root by designing a new kind of AI system grounded in the philosophical understanding of causal reasoning and human compatibility,” said Hasan.
Journalist and science writer Clay Farris Naff moderated a panel featuring Chafik Barbar, CEO of Marble Technologies; Jesús Rosario, senior partnerships manager at Coursera; and Mailani Veney, '06 MBA, CEO of Kana Systems, titled, “A Proactive Approach to What is Coming Next in Emerging Technology." Veney shared her insight about improving efficiency and empowering workers.
“I want to stop using the word AI so much because it is a means to an end. How are we trying to make the world better, how are we trying to make decisions better, and how are we trying to operationalize efficiencies and optimize in our field?” Veney said. “As we are looking to make an impact, make people's work lives better and help them to flourish, we can give them the tools to allow them to be competitive and to be those work heroes. With AI and machine learning, it's really about the people behind it who bring their talents together to try to solve problems. One of the best things I can do as CEO of my company is assemble the right talent.”
Student Bootcamp Prepares the Next Generation
Students worked through two modules of the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate in Machine Learning with Python in the afternoon.
Following the conference, students participated in a hands-on bootcamp led by engineering doctoral students Mirza Athar Baig and Muhammad Usama. Attendees worked through two modules of the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate in Machine Learning with Python.
“I graduate in May and AI will be a part of my supply chain management career, as it isn't going anywhere. Multiple speakers at this conference reiterated that AI will not replace human interactions and instead will help people do their jobs and research better,” said Ashley Nierman, a senior from Harvard, Nebraska. “I came to the bootcamp to dive into the deep end, practice these tools and become better prepared for the future.”
Carl Nelson, associate dean for undergraduate programs in the College of Engineering, was encouraged by the sold-out conference and especially the strong student participation.
“This conference and bootcamp gave students an incredible opportunity to network with professionals and gain hands-on experience with AI technology,” Nelson said. “We hope to see even more students engage with these kinds of opportunities in the future.”
Future Plans Include Navigating Emerging Technologies Course
With the success of the Emerging Tech Conference, organizers are already considering ways to expand the conference. Miller noted that the College of Business is launching a new undergraduate core curriculum in the fall that includes a new course called Navigating Emerging Technologies in Business (BSAD 340).
“The demand for discussions around emerging technologies is only growing,” Miller said. “We are excited to build on this momentum and create even more opportunities for collaboration, learning and innovation.”
Published: March 11, 2025