Ohio State University Hosts AI in Business Conference Highlighting Responsible AI Implementation

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AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.

Ohio State University Hosts National AI in Business Conference

Students, scholars, and business leaders from across the country gathered at The Ohio State University for the AI in Business Conference, an event dedicated to exploring responsible ai implementation and the future of artificial intelligence in both academic and corporate settings. The conference was held at The Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center on the Columbus campus, organized by Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business.

Supporting the AI Fluency Initiative

The conference was part of Ohio State’s ongoing AI Fluency initiative, which aims to ensure that, starting with the class of 2029, every student graduates with proficiency in applying AI within their field of study. This initiative underlines the university’s commitment to preparing future professionals to navigate and leverage ai technology across disciplines.

Academic and Industry Collaboration on AI Adoption

The event brought together more than 200 faculty members, students, and leaders from academia and industry to discuss how various organizations adopt AI strategies and tools. Fisher College of Business Dean Aravind Chandrasekaran emphasized the need for a multidisciplinary understanding of ai adoption for effective and responsible use. “Responsible AI adoption requires more than technological expertise. It takes a multidisciplinary understanding of how AI affects organizations, people, decision-making and society,” he said.

Perspectives from Industry Leaders and Alumni

Vanitha Zacharias, chief AI strategist for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, encouraged students to view ai education as a long-term professional development goal. “Continue learning. Keep up this growth mindset,” she advised, highlighting the constantly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

Panel discussions featured Fisher College students and alumni sharing their experiences with ai in business environments. Scott DiStefano, a May 2026 graduate and associate at Chase Bank, described how ai tools have improved efficiency in tasks such as data comparison, and influenced his approach to decision-making. Briana Lindemeyer, a 2025 graduate working in human resources at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, spoke about using AI to quickly access references from medical journals. Minny Poon, a 2023 graduate and current data scientist with the Experience Management Institute, noted that her training in data science and understanding of AI’s limitations helped her become intentional in evaluating AI outputs and applications.

Integrating AI into Academic Curricula

Professors from Ohio State and other institutions shared strategies for incorporating ai strategies into education. Ismael Talke, senior lecturer at Fisher in operations and business analytics, discussed his work training Google Gemini Gems agents to assist students with problem solving through guided questions, promoting critical thinking and engagement rather than simply providing answers.

The Path Ahead for AI in Enterprises

Jojy Mathew, founder and CEO of DataModal Inc., delivered the keynote address, urging companies to continually reassess how they deploy ai applications and measure returns on investment. He highlighted the emerging opportunities to put AI on employees’ desktops to improve workplace efficiency and adapt to changing business needs.

The AI in Business Conference at Ohio State reflected growing interest in advancing responsible ai and fluency in artificial intelligence at the intersection of education and industry, addressing both opportunities and challenges ahead.