More than 110 University of Pittsburgh students, faculty, and staff, along with business executives, startup founders, and technology professionals from Pittsburgh and surrounding areas attended the Demystifying the Role of Generative AI in Business Innovation Conference, hosted by the Pitt Business Center for Branding, on Friday, March 1, 2024.
“What makes Pittsburgh truly remarkable is its vibrant ecosystem of colleges and universities which are at the forefront of cutting-edge research and education in areas of global significance such as AI and digital transformation,” said Gene Anderson, Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration.
The conference was a unique opportunity to learn from and connect with some of the leading experts and practitioners in the field of generative AI and its applications in business innovation. The agenda focused on how companies are adopting the use of Generative AI in improving their offerings and the challenges that follow.
“This conference brings together technologists, business people, students, and small business owners in the Pittsburgh region to talk about the different ways in which Generative AI is fueling business innovation,” says Vanitha Swaminathan, associate dean for strategic initiatives, Thomas Marshall professor of marketing, and director of the Center for Branding at Pitt Business.
She added: “It’s an exciting time and Pitt Business is looking forward to putting together programming such as this around our strategic pillars, thanks to the vision of our dean.”
The school’s Pitt Business 2030 strategy includes an emphasis on three global imperatives: health sciences, social impact, and digital transformation. This conference was an example of how Pitt Business has long been a leader in education and research at the nexus of business and digital technology, including the latter’s potential for innovation, growth, and good. Building on these strengths will ensure all graduates are equipped for the jobs of today and prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
“I was fortunate enough to be the chair of this conference along with a group of four other co-chairs,” said Bishal Dasgupta (MBA ’24).
Dasgupta worked with Gitanjali Rana (MS ’23), Ana Reyes (MS ’24), Kaushiki Mishra (MBA/MS-MIS ’24) and Priyanka Purushothaman (MBA ’24) to plan and market the conference. Terri Gregos participated as a conference manager and Center for Branding Program Director.
“Generative AI is a hot topic but when you really get into the implication of it, there are topics that become nuanced,” Dasgupta said. “Being able to have the exposure to the content and then being able to curate it in a way that made logical sense for people who are not aware of the intricates of the topic was something that I really enjoyed.”
Insights from Industry Experts
Sohrab Rahimi, expert associate partner at McKinsey & Company, and Bill Moore, creative senior manager at BCG, delivered the day’s two keynote sessions.
Afternoon session topics included data architecture strategies, optimizing ad performance, and next-gen AI applications, and were presented by industry experts from Databricks, Omneky, Data Science, and Dojo. Presenters shared the importance of prompt engineering and how companies are integrating AI to drive creative digital marketing success for brands.
The day concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Swaminathan. Participants included: Andy Hannah, president of the AI Division of Liaison International and Adjunct Professor of Analytics and Entrepreneurship at Pitt Business; Timothy James, Software Engineering Manager at Google; Kaci McBride, Director of Local Marketing and Analytics at Soci; Audrey Russo, CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council; and Daniela Spencer, Senior Account Strategist, Microsoft. The panel discussed the ethical implications of AI, its responsible use, and the incentive around change management.
The Center for Branding will also host The Power of Working with Micro-Influencers, on Friday, April 5, 2024. Attendees will learn from Pittsburgh-area micro-influencers, experts, creatives, and researchers in the industry. Participants will have the opportunity to pursue a Micro-Influencer Certification from Pitt Business. Learn more and register online.
