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The inaugural NJ AI summit, held at Princeton University earlier this month in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Gov. Phil Murphy’s office, gathered more than 600 leaders from a variety of different disciplines, organizations and sectors for a day of networking, dialogue, discussion and idea-sharing about artificial intelligence.

“The AI Hub advances two of Princeton University’s highest strategic priorities – helping to cultivate a robust regional ecosystem and accelerating AI innovation and education,” said the school’s president, Christopher Eisgruber. “This hub presents an extraordinary opportunity for us to come together to make bold investments that will positively impact the region and the state – as well as the nation and the world.”

“The conversations we’ll be having; the ideas that sessions generate – will all be funneled back to the team that’s developing the plan for the AI Hub,” said Jennifer Rexford, provost, Princeton University. “When we walk out of here this evening – exhausted and exhilarated – we’ll have a shared understanding of the AI landscape, the unique advantages and opportunities in the region. And we’ll have new friends and potential partners to collaborate with.”

Throughout a series of “lightning talks,” panels of experts took the stage and discussed such areas as Foundations of AI; AI for Technology and Engineering; AI for Finance; Education and Workforce Development; AI for Health; AI for Sustainable Energy; Compute and Data Resources for AI; and AI, Society and Policy.

In those lightning talks, which were about 10 minutes or less for each speaker (instead of a panel discussion format), the leaders laid out their business or entity’s perspective on AI – as well as current or future applications of it. The lineup featured a mix of AI experts, business leaders, academic leaders, and other stakeholders from Princeton and the region.

“I know we are still in the very early stages of building this hub out, but this summit makes it entirely clear to me that it was absolutely the right step to take – and that, furthermore, there is no better partner for us than Princeton University,” said Murphy. “And just look at the range of topics that are being covered during today’s summit.”

Here are some examples of the insights offered during the lightning talks:

• “Given that we’re at the beginning of the journey, there’s really no reason why New Jersey cannot lead in this journey,” said Thierry Klein, president of Bell Labs Solution Research, Nokia Bell Labs. “There’s a perception that maybe other states or companies in other states are the leaders – and we should give up. I do believe that there are a lot of assets in New Jersey – from the top talent we have in the different academic institutions, the technology sector, the will from the state government, as well as all of the industrial sectors. There’s no reason why we cannot lead in New Jersey – and we should all collaborate.”
• “This is a great opportunity for us to collaborate – both through our corporate research facility with the AI Hub and to engage with the universities within New Jersey to actually really push this forward and make this possible,” said Johan Grape, vice president, Technology and Innovation, Siemens Digital Industries. “Looking forward to working with the great State of New Jersey on this.”
• “We understand and we accept, and we welcome the fact that AI is continuing to rapidly evolve – both technically as well as in its regulation,” said Kjersten Moody, chief data officer, Prudential Financial Inc. “And that it is our responsibility to have an ecosystem that co-innovates with the artificial intelligence – as well as innovating with the governance and the frameworks that manage that underlying capability.”
• “We are seeing teacher supply issues in New Jersey. So rather than thinking about replacing teachers and the learning process through adaptive technologies, let’s think about how to make their jobs doable. Let’s start a different conversation with our state’s teachers,” said Jennifer Jennings, professor of sociology and public affairs, Princeton University. “If we could free up time for teachers to build deep, meaningful relationships with kids to really be able – with the help of AI – to target the specific areas in which they need support, get feedback and practice again, it could really transform this job – and keep our best folks in the classroom.”
• “This is a huge opportunity that I think we have as a leader in New Jersey – to re-envision and incorporate general education as AI. And when I say that what I really mean is we need to look at AI-specific courses that every single student in the state would have the opportunity to take,” said Brenden Rickards, provost and vice president, Rowan College of South Jersey. “Such that they not only leave understanding how to read; how to write; how to do math; how to do science – because those are all important. But how do they come out knowing how to use or at least having an understanding of AI?”

Creating a new economy

The Keynote Address for the NJ AI Summit was delivered by Brad Smith, vice chair and president, Microsoft Corp., a 1981 Princeton graduate. Smith leads a global team of some 2,000 employees and oversees the company’s massive AI investments.

“I think the creation of an AI Hub requires that one bring a community together; bring a state together; bring people together,” Smith said. “And you can’t do that unless you can connect with people, unless you can communicate with people. And when it comes to AI, one of the things I’ve learned is that is a formidable challenge.”

Smith compared AI and its potential to the invention of the printing press.

“A printing press by itself was not very useful. It took advances in paper, in ink, in the foundries to create movable type,” Smith explained. “But more than that, the printing press created a whole new economy. It was an economy that created new categories, companies and jobs. There needed to be bookbinders. Then there needed to be booksellers. That created people who wrote for newspapers. And ultimately, it all laddered up to serve two groups that were the most vital of all: readers and writers.”

He continued by noting that when you look back at the printing press, it created not just that new economy but a better world.

“Not always. Some of what the printing press was used for was a bit trivial,” Smith said. “But more than that, it is extraordinary what the printing press led to – almost everything that one values here on this campus. It led to the Renaissance and the Reformation – to the scientific method to the Enlightenment. Fundamentally, it made possible the spread of democracy itself.”

“So, too, I think, is the potential of AI,” Smith stressed. “Like the printing press, it’s not a single technology. And your topics today reflect that. It starts with land and power and electricity, with chips, with data centers – whether it’s from a company like Microsoft or a great company here in New Jersey, like CoreWeave. It requires enormous amounts of data – and oh my gosh, is that expensive. But out of that foundation, there is a new opportunity for people who are creating AI-powered applications for almost everything under the sun. If there is a problem in the world today, there is probably, in part, a solution based on the use of generative AI.”

New Jersey can lead the way

Smith emphasized that it is not necessary to invent a technology to become the place that makes the best use of it – and pointed to how New Jersey can become a leader, while nodding to the state’s long legacy and history in innovation. “I think you have the opportunity to create the next generation of great technology here in New Jersey,” said Smith. “But I would also say – if that is the only thing you do, you will fall short of the great potential that New Jersey offers.”

He referenced past New Jersey residents Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer on balancing the advances technology with the potential harms of its excesses and misuse.

“And if that was needed for the atom bomb, it is needed, in my opinion, again today,” said Smith. “In part, it’s because bad actors already are putting artificial intelligence into challenging, unfortunate and even in some cases, horrifying use. But we also need to recognize this. In the history of humanity, we are the first generation of humans to create machines that can make decisions that have always been made by people. We need to ensure that we don’t let the future down. Every generation that comes after us will have to do its part to ensure that this new generation of technology serves humanity.”

“But as the first generation, we have no choice but to get it right,” Smith stressed, calling on all stakeholders to come together on those efforts to make sure this technology is used well.

“I think the point is that we’re coming together to think ahead about one of the most positive and promising and potentially disruptive developments in human history,” said Murphy. “But I think, even more importantly, we are uniting behind the belief that we collectively – whether we be lawmakers, academics, industry leaders or more – have an obligation to innovate responsibly when it comes to this realm. And that is especially important here in New Jersey – a state that, I believe, is perfectly positioned to lead the way in harnessing generative AI to address some of our world’s greatest challenges.”

Murphy said the Garden State is positioned to lead the way in harnessing this technology to address some of the world’s greatest challenges – citing that innovation legacy, the location, the talented workforce, resources and the thriving innovation ecosystem.

“The goal is for our state’s top minds to pioneer a series of AI-powered breakthroughs over the next decade that will change the lives of billions for the better,” said Murphy. “In the process, we will establish New Jersey as the home base for R&D in AI. We want our state government to be a catalyst for bringing together innovators and leaders – like many of you here today – to unlock a new century of hope.”

“From discovering new drugs and medical treatments to developing personalized educational tools, that will help every student reach their full potential – and everything in between,” Murphy continued. “We want New Jersey to lead the way in shaping AI’s future – and not for the benefit of small group of stakeholders, but for the benefit of everyone.”