At Inaugural Summit, Responsible AI Community Consortium Maps What’s Next for Utah
October 29, 2026
Nearly 150 people from academia, government, industry and the broader community gathered Oct. 5 at Kiln Salt Lake City for an inaugural summit held by the Utah Responsible AI Community Consortium, a volunteer-led effort supported by the University of Utah One-U Responsible AI Initiative. Participants heard updates from the consortium’s special interest groups (SIGs) and worked together to chart priorities for the coming year, with discussions focused on AI literacy, workforce preparation, trustworthy policy and governance, equitable community access, and the infrastructure needed to support innovation. The Workforce Development and Education SIG also launched an updated AI Leadership Blueprint for organizations, a Get Started with AI guide for individuals, and Utah AI Workforce Stories, a collection of candid accounts from people navigating AI on the job.
The summit closed with a panel on Utah’s evolving AI ecosystem, where speakers described the state as large enough to support meaningful AI innovation yet small enough to align people and resources around shared goals. They also called for investments and connections that help Utah-grown companies and talent scale here—and for a more global outlook if Utah is to lead in the AI era.
Oepning remarks from Bassam Salem, University of Utah Trustee and a member of the One-U Responsible AI Initiative External Advisory Committee.Updates from the Infrastructure SIG.Updates from the Policy and Framkework SIG.Updates from the Workforce SIG.SIG leaders discuss updates and opportunities in a panel discussion.SIG leaders discuss updates and opportunities in a panel discussion.Summit attendees in the Workforce SIG small-group discussion.Summit attendees in the Workforce SIG small-group discussion.Summit attendees in a small-group discussion focused around potential partnerships for the consortium.Summit attendees in the Policy SIG small-group discussion.Summit attendees in the Workforce SIG small-group discussion.Takeaways from the group that discussed potential partnerships for the consortium.The Workforce SIG presents small-group discussion takeaways.The Policy SIG presents small-group discussion takeaways.The Community Engagement SIG presents small-group discussion takeaways.University of Utah One-U Responsible AI Initiative faculty fellow Emad Awad comments on discussion takeaways from the Community Engagement SIG.A closing panel discussion focused on Utah's AI innovation ecosystem—what the state is doing right, and how it can evolve.Dave Patel, managing director of strategic economic partnerships at the University of Utah, speaks during the closing panel discussion.Angela Smith, chief operating officer for the Nucleus Institute, speaks in the closing discussion.
