Upcoming Events
On Tuesday, November 19, senior UCLA administrators will engage in a casual conversation with Chris Mattman, newly appointed Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer. Topics will include the role of the CDAIO in shaping UCLA's AI. landscape as well as innovative plans to harness the power of data and artificial intelligence to enhance education, research and community engagement.
Past Events
On October 15, 2024, ITS hosted an event to bring together leading experts from Salesforce, Tableau, and Slack to share their latest advancements in AI-driven solutions. ITS & Salesforce: AI in Focus allowed participants from across the university a unique opportunity to understand the transformative power of AI in driving better communication and efficiency.
Specific topics included AI trends in higher education, a case study on using AI for student one-stop services and retention with insights from Texas Tech, and leveraging Tableau to enhance data culture with AI. Discussions also covered the use of Einstein Co-pilot for CRM and Generative AI for Marketing Cloud. Throughout the day, key conversations emphasized the strategic role these tools play in delivering more personalized experiences for both students and faculty.
As UCLA continues its digital transformation journey, events like this, with key industry partners, play a crucial role in shaping the university’s future through innovative solutions. Takeaways from the session included valuable market insights gathered through collaboration with industry leaders, lessons learned from other universities, and ideas sparked from cross-campus interactions.
Date: 4/12/24
Description: UCLA Anderson’s Technology Business Association (AnderTech) and Entrepreneur Association present the 2024 Embracing AI Summit. We bring together leaders from the tech and business sectors to explore the profound impact of artificial intelligence on our world today, and its transformative potential for the future. Register for the event.
On February 15, 2024, speakers from across UCLA provided a multifaceted perspective on the role of AI in academic research. This event featured sessions that approached the question of the impact of AI through multiple lenses, including an exploration of the fundamentals of intelligence and artificial intelligence, multidisciplinary panel discussions, and lightning talks showcasing innovative AI research underway at UCLA. For more information, visit Research in the Age of AI Symposium.
On January 31, 2024, UCLA's Information Technology Services (ITS) Senior Leadership Team gathered at the SoFi Stadium for a groundbreaking Generative AI Lab event hosted by Deloitte. The session was steered by Deloitte’s Gen AI Lab experts, Tamara Cibenko and Chris Bunker, who led an engaging and insightful dialogue focused on the evolving landscape of Generative AI in higher education.
The event's core mission was to demystify the complexities of Generative AI, illuminating its vast potential and versatile applications poised to revolutionize the academic sector. Through interactive sessions, attendees delved into high-impact use cases tailored for the unique needs and challenges of higher education. These discussions were not only strategic but also hands-on, with live demonstrations showcasing AI in action, fostering a richer understanding of how these technologies can be leveraged at UCLA.
Ethical considerations, a pivotal aspect of AI adoption, were thoroughly examined. The dialogue included discussions on recent legislative developments, the implications for policy and governance, and strategies to mitigate risks, ensuring UCLA’s approach to AI is both responsible and impactful.
The day concluded with a collaborative ideation phase where participants shared creative ideas, followed by a prioritization exercise to refine these concepts with a business lens. The initiation of a strategic roadmap discussion during the event highlighted immediate opportunities and outlined a vision for a cohesive, long-term AI strategy, setting a course for innovation and leadership in Generative AI across the UCLA community.
On December 4, 2023, the UCLA community was fortunate to host the 'Generative AI Microsoft Day,' an event featuring esteemed leaders from Microsoft who shared their insights on the expansive role of AI in academia and beyond. The session commenced with an welcome from Tyler Bryson, Corporate Vice President, Health & Public Sector Industries US, emphasizing the transformative impact of AI in education and healthcare.
Michael Jabbour, Chief Innovation Officer, provided an executive overview, discussing the profound ways Generative AI is revolutionizing research, advocating for responsible AI practices, and causing cross-industry disruption. A mid-morning break led into a deep dive into AI automation within Microsoft 365, where Victoria Dean, Modern Work Specialist, illustrated how AI tools like Copilot are making work smarter and more efficient.
Post-lunch, an engaging AI Panel moderated by Jabbour explored AI’s transformative drive, readiness, governance, and its application in higher education. Bill Hagen, Director Security Solutions US Education, later highlighted the importance of securing work in a multi-cloud world, a topic of growing relevance.
The day concluded with Melissa Hortman, Research Technology Strategist, sharing valuable insights on AI in Higher Education Research, focusing on how AI can support research advancement and grant acquisition, alongside lessons from experienced research teams.
The event underscored UCLA's commitment to staying at the forefront of AI application and governance, fostering an environment ripe for innovation and secure exploration in the digital age.
A December 2023 discussion among four UCLA professors: "We are on the cusp of potentially incredible transformations with the expansion and exponential progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – will the impact be positive, negative, or a bit of both? Faculty experts from across campus share their thoughts about benefits and challenges of AI for individuals, communities, and the world at-large."
On August 10, 2023, UCLA's IT Services hosted the Google-UC Executive Briefing Forum, a pivotal gathering aimed at discussing the forefront of cloud technology and Generative AI's role in academic research. The forum welcomed University of California CIOs to a day filled with expert talks and collaborative discussions at UCLA.
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Lucy Avetisyan, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer from UCLA, setting the stage for a series of insightful sessions. Matt Gunkel, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer from UC Riverside, led an in-depth review of UC Riverside's engagement with Google Cloud, offering attendees a closer look at the strategic partnership's nuances.
Key discussions throughout the day included transitioning to a geo-agnostic cloud environment for research enterprises, harnessing Large Language Models for administrative and academic data presented by Adam Deer from Google Cloud Platform's (GCP) Strategic Initiatives, and leveraging Looker for campus-wide data analytics, introduced by UC Riverside's Deputy CIO, Mike Kennedy.
After a networking lunch, the forum resumed with Bret Waugh, a Security Specialist from Google Cloud Platform (GCP), who provided an overview of GCP’s security portfolio and its evolution. A key highlight was Amina Al Sherif, AI/ML Practice Lead at GCP, who presented the latest developments in GCP’s Generative AI for Higher Education.
The day concluded with Carlos Boneti, a Software Engineer from GCP, who introduced the High-Performance Computing (HPC) Toolkit, designed to enhance research computing efficiency by tenfold. This event marked a significant step for UCLA and the UC system in fostering a collaborative and technologically advanced academic atmosphere.
On May 25, 2023, we learned about some of these AI detection tools, their flaws, and why UCLA has not yet embraced this technology. Learn more about AI Writing Detection.
On May 19, 2023, participants learned about the importance of transparency in designing assignments that use generative AI. Learn more about Designing Transparent AI Assignments.
On May 17, 2023, we saw how you can leverage generative AI to help write your syllabus, start lesson planning, and even start a course presentation. Learn more about ChatGPT and other AI tools.
On May 16, 2023, we explored some of the ways to leverage AI to find resources, design assignments, give students feedback and improve student writing.
On May 15, 2023, we learned about how can we leverage AI to support authentic learning while also mitigating potential harm to learning. Learn more about ChatGPT for Programming.
On May 12, 2023, attendees explored the practical implications of AI technology and engaged with speakers and ask questions about their use of ChatGPT and other generative AI technology in their classrooms. Learn more about Flash Talks on AI Use in the Classroom.
On March 14, 2023, a panel of experts looked at different ways companies are utilizing AI and Generative AI in Finance. Discussions covered where these technologies are headed in the near future and how AI impacts various careers and industries. Learn more about this course.
