Gentry Locke and Ferrum College hosted the 2024 Gentry Locke Lecture Series at the College on Wednesday, April 10. The spring presentation focused on artificial intelligence, and its impact on industry, the future of jobs, and what higher education needs to consider as it prepares the students of today and tomorrow.
The series consisted of daytime discussions with students, faculty and staff and concluded with an evening panel discussion open to the public moderated by attorneys Kevin Holt and Jessiah Hulle.
Hulle opened the evening discussion by asking each panelist to offer a brief statement about the current state of AI and what they would advise students and other attendees present to prepare for in the future based on their respective fields of expertise. As the discussion progressed, the panelists took audience questions providing insights that educated and challenged attendees.
“Our panel of experts on Artificial intelligence was the perfect conclusion to the rich discussions on campus throughout the day. We are incredibly thankful for all of the panelists who brought this enriching discussion to our students, faculty, staff and community and to Gentry Locke Attorneys for their support.”
Martin offered her gratitude to the speakers, and provided a recap of their messages. “Laura Hodges Sprouse ’97 offered insight into the practical applications of AI in the financial profession and how embracing AI technologies enables professionals to focus on strategic initiatives, minimize errors, and adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics more effectively,” said Martin.
“On the other hand,” continued President Martin, “Dr. Katherine Martin shared fascinating insights into how AI is reshaping the military landscape by enabling more efficient decision-making, autonomous systems, and enhanced situational awareness. Martin also noted that as AI continues to advance, its impact will extend beyond military operations, automating administrative tasks, and affecting all facets of human functions from healthcare and transportation to entertainment and daily life, ushering in transformative changes across various industries and society as a whole.”
“Finally, Professor Fairfield’s suggestion that AI is poised to revolutionize academia by personalizing learning experiences, and facilitating research breakthroughs is fascinating. His assertion that good data input is essential in academia to ensure AI systems produce accurate and meaningful insights, enabling educators and researchers to harness AI’s full potential for innovation and educational advancement generated robust conversations among our faculty,” said Martin.
“Embracing AI technologies will enable the next generation of leaders to focus on strategic initiatives, minimize errors, and adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics more effectively. Ferrum College will continue to position our graduates to use evolving technologies to usher in a new era of innovation.”
