Artificial intelligence — and humans’ role in it — will be the subject of an upcoming two-day summit in Salt Lake City.
The 2025 AI Summit, titled “Utah’s Pro-Human Leadership in the Age of AI,” will take place Dec. 1-2 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Hosted by the Utah Department of Commerce and its Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Nucleus Institute, the event will gather government, business and academia for conversations about the future of AI.
“Utah is at the forefront of supporting and developing pro-human artificial intelligence, where innovation aligns with humanity,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “This approach creates technology that reflects our values and enhances our lives. By aligning technological progress with community values, Utah sets an example for the nation. It emphasizes that innovations should improve quality of life, drive prosperity, and strengthen connections within society — not replace them.”
Summit organizers contend that Utah is positioned at the forefront in prioritizing pro-human values within AI on multiple fronts, including industry, academic research, regulatory policy and workforce development.
“Utah aims to establish itself as a national leader in pro-human and pro-innovation AI initiatives,” said Margaret Woolley Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce. “By promoting discussions and collaborations at this summit, we are laying the groundwork for AI to contribute to impactful growth and societal well-being.”
Among elements of the summit are a keynote address from Cox and a fireside conversation with Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare. Sessions will focus on workforce development in the age of AI and its impact on employment trends; research from the state’s universities; emerging applications in biotechnology, finance and sustainable energy; and interactive policy discussions on topics such as AI companions, personalized medicine and AI in learning.
Featured speakers and experts include Luis Benavides, CEO, Neighborites; Austin Carson, CEO, SeedAI; Kirk Cullimore, Utah state senator; Berton Earnshaw, founding fellow, Recursion; Nick Hafen, AI lawyer, Brigham Young University; Dave Hedengren, managing partner, Microsoft’s Core Search and AI Division/Shopify; Caleb Hicks, CEO, School AI; Vic Hockett, associate commissioner, Talent Ready Utah; Dan Lambert, CEO, PathologyWatch; Joshua Miller, CEO, BIOS; Kevin Moon, Data Science and AI Center director, Utah State University; Masood Parvania, founder, Grid Elevated; Lexi Pasi, founder, Lucidity Sciences; and Matt Winters, AI education specialist.
The summit is designed for a broad audience, including AI researchers, technology firms, innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry leaders.
“We are excited to assemble a diverse group of experts and stakeholders,” said Jefferson Moss, executive director of both GOEO and the Nucleus Institute, which has a vision of Utah as a global model for a transformative innovation economy. “This summit will highlight Utah’s commitment to the future of AI and generate actionable insights and strategic collaborations to shape the future of technology and the impacts on our workforce.”
Activities Dec. 1 are a pre-summit “Solutions Session” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the theme “Business Builders & AI: Practical Help to Integrate and Leverage AI.” The technology hackathon will feature five companies having their use cases workshopped with professionals. It is hosted by SeedAI, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit at the intersection of AI policy and practical application, in partnership with the state of Utah.
The summit takes place Dec. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Morning sessions include “Utah’s Pro-Human AI Focus: Leading by Example in Responsible Innovation,” “Building Trust in the Age of AI: Navigating Risk and Opportunity,” and “The Impact of AI on Workforce.” Mid-day features five interactive policy discussions featuring a moderator framing the topic and participants breaking into small groups to tackle critical questions. Afternoon sessions include “Disrupting AI: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities,” “Shaping Humanity-Centric AI Through Academic Collaboration” and “Emerging AI in Deep Tech: Leveraging AI to Turn Challenges into Impactful Solutions.”
The pre-summit costs $30. The summit cost is $175. The summit website is https://aisummit.utah.gov/.