Artificial intelligence is a cloudy crystal ball, but DisruptREADY is here to clear it up.
It's what the advisory firm’s “Carnival Crew” told attendees Thursday afternoon at its AI training session in Celtic Studios. Under the big top, executives from more than 50 companies including Entergy and b1Bank engaged in station-style lessons on incorporating AI into their business.
CEO and carnival ringmaster Henry Hays said he wanted to create a safe, fun space for business executives to learn about AI amid the technology’s rapidly increasing presence. While some people may be intimidated by AI, Hays wants Baton Rouge companies to stay ahead of the game.
“We're really stressing now is the time to get involved,” he said.
This month, state education policymakers passed a resolution to lead an AI research agenda so students can keep up with the latest innovations. Construction has started on two massive AI data centers that have drummed up excitement and business in West Feliciana and Richland parishes.
Attendees rotated through six “knowledge centers” on topics including the foundations of AI, using AI with company data, writing AI prompts and misconceptions about AI. At each station, Carnival Crew members — experts in Hays’ network — walked their group through the interactive lesson, using real-life scenarios where they could use AI.
Carnival Crew members used polls to gauge attendees' familiarity and comfort with AI. In response to "What is preventing your organization from embracing AI?" attendees brought up concerns about the environmental impact, privacy and the "fear of the unknown."
Hays defines his target audience as small groups of leadership teams, typically vice president level or higher. Thursday's event was invite-only and prospective participants can apply to attend future events. DisruptREADY will host two more carnival events on Sept. 9 and 23.
He said he chose the carnival theme because it is chaotic, fun and different than other methods executives may use to learn about AI.
"We wanted to really disrupt the way that adults traditionally learn, because it's either YouTube or, frankly, a really boring, seated all day event where it's speaker after speaker after speaker. We find it doesn't really hit the mark,” he said.
A stilts performer greeted attendees as they walked into the studio, where large red and white curtains lined the perimeter and graphics of circus elephants and performers draped the walls. In intermissions between each knowledge center rotation, two actors performed skit scenarios like a king ridiculing his intern for suggesting the use of AI in the kingdom on a stage in the center of the room.
The Carnival Crew donned red and white striped vests and carnival straw hats, with a cane for Hays to complete the ringmaster look.
AI technology is not present in Dana Schlotterer’s day-to-day work as the executive director of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Schlotterer said she attended the event to learn how to use AI ethically as she trains Baton Rouge high school students in entrepreneurship.
Schlotterer said students are scared to use AI because they do not want to get in trouble. She’s seeking out a balance between ensuring students produce original work while incorporating the expanding technology.
“We’re coming around to it,” she said.
Ronnie Rantz, the CEO of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation and owner of the Baton Rouge Rougarou baseball team, said he has used AI on a “small level” and is finding ways to incorporate it in areas like payroll, billing and sales. He said some AI, like ChatGPT, can be intimidating because it cannot solve every problem, but the carnival can help dispel some of the fear.
“I can see them doing more of these,” he said.