Over 200 attendees gather at Ohio State for AI strategy summit

More than 200 faculty members, students, and industry leaders from around the world gathered at The Blackwell Inn and Pfahl Conference Center on the Columbus campus for the AI in Business Conference. The event, organized by Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, brought together academic researchers and business practitioners to discuss the practical application of AI tools across various disciplines.

The conference supports the university’s AI Fluency initiative. Under this program, every Ohio State student beginning with the class of 2029 is expected to graduate with proficiency in AI. This fluency includes understanding AI within their specific field of study and knowing how to apply the technology effectively in that context.

Aravind Chandrasekaran, the Fisher dean and John W. Berry Sr. Chair in Business, stated that responsible AI adoption requires more than just technical expertise. He noted that the conference aimed to move the conversation beyond AI’s potential to what is needed to implement the technology responsibly, effectively, and at scale. Chandrasekaran emphasized that a multidisciplinary understanding of how AI affects organizations, people, decision-making, and society is essential for success.

Vanitha Zacharias, the chief AI strategist for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, addressed students in attendance. She encouraged them to view AI instruction as a form of professional development that should continue throughout their careers. Zacharias advised students not to stop learning when they enter the workforce, noting that the AI scene changes daily and requires a continuous growth mindset to stay equipped with the right knowledge for any job or organization.

A panel of Fisher students and alumni shared how they translate their academic learning into workplace strategies. Scott DiStefano, a May 2026 graduate who is now an associate at Chase Bank, reported that AI tools have increased his efficiency, particularly for tasks like comparing data sets. He said the greatest impact has been a change in how he approaches problems and makes decisions. DiStefano noted that using AI to benchmark or sift through Excel spreadsheet data saves a significant amount of time.

Briana Lindemeyer, a 2025 graduate working as a human resources professional with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, described AI as a tool to streamline her work. She explained that she uses the technology to quickly pull references from medical journals or other sources. Lindemeyer characterized the process as an easy and quick snapshot, where she inputs a prompt and reviews the immediate output.

Minny Poon, a 2023 graduate and data scientist with the Experience Management Institute, uses AI as a brainstorming assistant. She credited her master’s degrees in human resources management and applied economics from Fisher with providing the foundation needed to analyze AI results. Poon stated that her background in data science, machine learning, and statistics helps her recognize both the capabilities and limitations of AI. This knowledge allows her to be more intentional about how she uses these tools and how she evaluates their outputs.

Ismael Talke, a senior lecturer at Fisher in operations and business analytics, discussed strategies for incorporating AI into curricula during a separate panel. He described training Google Gemini Gems agents to assist students in solving complex problems. Talke explained that he instructs the AI agents to ask questions of the students rather than giving them the answer. He said this method increases critical thinking and engagement, allowing students to get the most out of the technology.

Jojy Mathew, founder and CEO of AI technology company DataModal Inc., delivered the keynote address. He argued that companies should constantly reevaluate their return on investment from AI tools. Mathew highlighted the need for new ways to deploy AI in enterprises, specifically asking how to put AI on an employee’s desktop computer so they can do their job faster. He identified these as opportunities that await the industry.