In September, the inaugural GSVxPenn State: The Global Impact Forum brought together over 500 students and global changemakers from education, entrepreneurship, investment, and AI/ed-tech for more than 100 dynamic sessions at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The 2024 theme, “Accelerating AI for Good,” wasn’t just a tagline; it was the heartbeat of a movement aimed at fostering meaningful global change that reverberated throughout the entirety of the event
With regional academic institutions in Pennsylvania, such as Penn State, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Drexel University, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and more, joining forces with national universities like Stanford University, the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, Rice University, and others, the forum underscored the importance of economic development, social mobility, and positive impact through education and innovation. Together, they positioned AI as a central force for reshaping our world for the better. Leading industry players like Deloitte, Accenture, Comcast, Google, KPMG, Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group, and more joined the conversation as attendees, exploring how AI can supercharge economic development and social mobility.
Big Ideas and Bold Visions
The forum began with an inspiring keynote by Michael Moe, Founder & CEO of Global Silicon Valley (GSV), who highlighted AI’s transformative potential in tackling today’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to educational inequity. Moe’s message was clear: AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a powerful catalyst for global good.
Here are a few key takeaways from the event:
Collaboration among government, education, and industry is critical to ensure the benefits of AI are shared equitably. (Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, Abby Smith, President & CEO of Team Pennsylvania, and Rick Siger, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development)
A world free from racism, poverty, and violence is possible. (Arndrea King, President of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.)
The human-centered nature of technology (namely video) would enable more businesses and creators to share impactful stories, breaking down barriers along the way. (Philip Moyer, CEO of Vimeo)
Ethical considerations, cross-sector collaboration, and preparing for emerging AI innovations must be done responsibly to ensure positive and impactful outcomes for society. (Grace Evans, Professor at the College of William and Mary, featured experts like Devon Diaz, Ethics Officer at the Army Artificial Intelligence Task Force, Alka Patel, Director of Technology Strategy at the Cyberspace & Digital Policy Bureau, U.S. State Department, Vic Vuchic, Advisor to the Gates Foundation, and Lance Lindauer, Co-founder & Executive Director of the Partnership to Advance Responsible Technology.)
Access to computer science education must be universal as students will become creators of technology rather than mere consumers. (Hadi Partovi, Founder of Code.org)
We need an educational renaissance that embraces AI while holding onto core values like care, inclusion, and curiosity. (Gregg Behr, Executive Director of The Grable Foundation, invoking the legacy of Fred “Mister” Rogers)
AI is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. (Amen Rahh, Yazmin Padilla, Ryan Oliver, Regional Executive DirectorBUILD.org, Mo Foster, Danae Mobley)
Artificial intelligence reflects and reinforces gender stereotypes. There is an urgent need for diversity in AI development to empower the next generation of women and challenge pervasive algorithmic biases. (Nayli Russo, PharmD, MBA, Strategist & Success Coach)
Enhancing Student Success: The Future is Bright
One of the most exciting aspects of the forum was witnessing over 80 high school and college students spotlighted in the Student Spotlight, showcasing their creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills to a wide audience of entrepreneurs, innovators, industry professionals, and higher education institutions. Stephen Clark, a student from Lankenau High School, presented his AI project to Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King—a powerful reminder of just how important the next generation will be in shaping the future of AI.
The Nittany AI Alliance and its keynote panel “Outcomes that Matter” further spotlighted Penn State students working with industry partners to create meaningful student engagement opportunities. Daren Coudriet, Executive Director of Penn State’s Nittany AI Alliance, along with students Zachary Walnok, Javier Pozo, Vishnu Venugopal, and Tony Bifano, Lead AI Readiness Lab Innovation Director, discussed their collaborative projects focused on advancing AI solutions for education and industry.
Shaping the Future of AI
Interactive workshops like Laura McBain’s “I Love Algorithms: A Design Workshop to Shape the Future of AI” encouraged participants to rethink AI’s role in society. Linsey Covert, Founder of TEAMology, led a session on enhancing student mental wellness through personalized AI resources, highlighting the multifaceted applications of this technology.
In the “Empowering Futures: Humanizing AI in Education” session, Ken Shelton, Founder & CEO of Elevate Education, and Tom Murray, Director of Innovation at Future Ready Schools (All4Ed), discussed how AI can create more inclusive and equitable learning environments. They focused on the importance of using AI to enhance educational experiences while prioritizing student well-being and human connections.
At the “Driving K-12 Innovation” session, educational leaders explored how AI can reshape education by addressing challenges and scaling solutions. Based on the CoSN 2024 report, speakers Edward McKaveney, Director of Technology at Hampton Township School District, Richard Platts, Director of Technology at Carlisle Area School District, and Norton Gusky, Educational Technology Consultant, shared insights on key AI trends and policies, helping participants develop strategies for effective AI integration in schools. Here’s Norton Gusky on this workshop:
“We designed a workshop for educational leaders on AI in Education using the CoSN K-12 Driving Innovation findings from 2024 as our framework. We used AI to generate our prompts and developed an interactive session that allowed participants to reflect on the Hurdles, Accelerators and Tech Enablers in the report based on their experience at the conference. I wanted to highlight the importance of “metacognition,” a human process that AI cannot do.
As the conference was underway, we listened for emerging themes and modified the prompts adding language that we heard at the conference. We divided people into four groups and had each group tackle one of the prompts. Then we tapped into a strategy I had not used before, “World Cafe.” Instead of the entire group rotating to the next prompt, this strategy requires one person to remain and update the new group on what the previous group had discussed. In the past I observed people starting from scratch and not elaborating on previous ideas. With the Global Cafe, it was fascinating to see how each group took the original ideas, added details, and then moved on to new ideas. This method resulted in deeper conversations and high engagement among participants.
Following, we asked an AI agent to summarize the conversation from the notes that were collected at each table: Even though we didn’t directly use #3 as a prompt, ChatGPT helped us identify common themes that were present across the prompted conversations.
1. How can the CoSN framework be integrated into a K-12 curriculum?
Data Ecosystem Evaluation: Incorporate systems for evaluating new technologies and using AI for analyzing contracts and terms of service, enhancing teacher workflows and decision-making.
Bridging Content and Pedagogy: Use AI tools to critique, evaluate, and review educational content, improving subject domain accuracy in areas like biology and economics.
Standardized Integration: Develop standardized methods for integrating AI tools into the curriculum to ensure consistency and effectiveness.
Personalized Tutoring: Implement AI as personalized tutors to cater to individual student needs, enhancing learning outcomes.
Human Element: Balance AI integration with the human element in teaching, ensuring that technology supports rather than replaces teacher-student interactions.
2. What hurdles at your school/institution do AI tools help to overcome (enablers), or accelerate solutions?
Legal and Privacy Concerns: Address legal challenges and privacy concerns by updating policies and contracts to protect stakeholders.
Stakeholder Discomfort: Manage discomfort among stakeholders by increasing awareness and access to information about AI benefits.
Teacher Overwhelm: Use AI to reduce teacher workload, such as grading, to improve retention and focus on teaching.
Language and Neurodiversity: Leverage AI for translation and support for neurodiverse students, enhancing inclusivity.
Data Analytics: Utilize data analytics to facilitate learning conversations and inform pedagogical choices.
3. What ethical concerns are you thinking about in your schools/institutions?
Privacy and Data Security: Ensure robust privacy measures to protect student data.
Bias and Fairness: Address potential biases in AI algorithms to ensure fair treatment of all students.
Transparency: Maintain transparency in AI usage and decision-making processes.
Student Work Authenticity: Redefine what constitutes student work and assessment in the age of AI.
Teacher Roles: Consider the evolving role of teachers as AI becomes more integrated into education.
4. What are the potential long-term impacts on teachers and students?
Enhanced Teacher-Student Interaction: AI can free up time for teachers to engage more with students individually.
Resource Support: AI provides personalized learning resources, supporting student inquiry and a student-centered classroom.
Professional Development: Continuous professional development for teachers to adapt to AI-enhanced teaching methods.
Classroom Management: AI impacts classroom management, lesson design, and group work dynamics.
Critical Thinking: Encourage students to ask better questions and develop critical thinking skills, despite reduced emphasis on traditional research skills.
5. How will you balance the benefits of AI with the need to develop student growth?
Selective AI Use: Exclude AI from activities like conflict resolution to foster empathy and emotional intelligence.
Empathy Development: Integrate empathy and emotional intelligence into AI-related activities and prompts.
Case Studies and Discussions: Use AI to facilitate literature discussions and case studies that promote empathy.
Teacher Support: AI can help teachers improve their own social-emotional learning (SEL) skills.
Coaching for SEL: Provide coaching for teachers to enhance their ability to teach SEL effectively.”
Looking Ahead: The Journey Continues
The inaugural GSVxPenn State: The Global Impact Forum wasn’t just a success—it marked the beginning of a transformative journey in Pennsylvania and beyond. Conversations around AI ethics, education, and mental health emphasized that the future of AI must be inclusive and equitable.
Key local contributions came from figures like David Gindhart, Assistant Vice President for Outreach at Penn State, Soundar Kumara, Allen E. & Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering at Penn State, Marylyn Ritchie, Associate Director of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pennsylvania, Lilach Mollick, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, Bo Powers, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and Joe Yun, Director of the Idea Foundry at the University of Pittsburgh. Collaborations among top educational institutions, alongside participation from the U.S. State Department and Philadelphia City Council, highlighted the state’s leadership in AI research and development.
A special thanks to our Founding Sponsors—Cranium AI, American Student Assistance, Genius Group, HiLife, KINBER, Philanthropi, and The AI Revolution Company—whose support was crucial in making TGIF 2024 a resounding success. Their commitment to advancing education and innovation was evident throughout the event, creating an environment where ideas could flourish and collaborations could thrive.
Justin W. Aglio, Ed.D., Associate Vice President, Penn State Outreach & Executive Director, Readiness Institute at Penn State | @JustinAglio (X)
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