WSSU’s first AI summit explores technology’s promise as researchers warn of future risks - WXLV

WSSU’s first AI summit explores technology’s promise as researchers warn of future risks

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and more common in everyday life, some of the people developing the technology are raising concerns about whether safety measures are keeping pace. That conversation came to Winston-Salem on Thursday as Winston-Salem State University hosted its first-ever AI Summit at the Benton Convention Center.

The event brought together students, educators and industry leaders to discuss a future in which artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly integral part of education, business and the workforce. Dr. Jack Monell, director of WSSU’s Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction, said colleges have a responsibility to prepare students for how emerging technology will affect their careers.

“With any new technology that is introduced into our society, as educators, as an institution, it becomes incredibly vital in preparing students for the next phase of their lives,” Monell said.

The inaugural summit included sessions focused on AI literacy, hands-on uses of the technology, and how artificial intelligence can be used ethically and responsibly across different careers.

Educators at the summit said preparing students for an AI-driven workforce means going beyond simply understanding what the technology is. Dr. Siobahn Day Grady, founding director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research at North Carolina Central University, said institutions are working to move students from AI literacy to applying the technology.

“Institutions right now are focusing on AI literacy but also moving beyond fluency, where students learn about not only how the technology works, the underpinnings, but also how to use it to build something,” Grady said.

But as educators encourage students to learn how to use AI, researchers are also raising questions about how far the technology should go. Those concerns received renewed attention this week after a former researcher at Anthropic and OpenAI resigned and warned that companies are racing to develop increasingly powerful AI systems while safety efforts may be falling behind. The concern among some researchers is that future AI systems could become increasingly difficult to control or could be used unethically by people with access to powerful technology.

NC Central graduate student Dawn Midest said she believes people will continue to play an important role in determining how AI is used.

“As long as we stay in the loop, I don’t see it getting out of hand,” Midest said. “Everybody has their own policy in place to keep balance and checks to make sure students and professors are using this safely.”

Midest said concerns about AI should not overshadow the potential benefits of the technology when it is used responsibly.

“The more people get exposed to AI and see what it’s really used for — solving problems, eliminating redundant tasks, making things more efficient — the more they’ll embrace it,” Midest said.

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, conversations like the one at WSSU’s summit are increasingly centered not only on what AI can do, but also on how people can shape its future while balancing innovation with safety and responsibility.