Carolina to host inaugural AI for Public Good Conference

unc.edu · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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Artificial IntelligenceThe conference will spotlight how cutting-edge AI research and interdisciplinary collaboration can connect in ways that truly serve the public good.By University Communications and Marketing, Monday, February 23rd, 2026UNC-Chapel Hill will convene leaders from academia, industry innovators, government and the arts for its inaugural AI for Public Good Conference on Monday, April 13. The full-day event will delve into one central question: How can artificial intelligence be developed and applied in ways that truly serve the public good?The conference will spotlight how cutting‑edge AI research and interdisciplinary collaboration can be translated into scalable solutions that strengthen public health, environmental resilience, civic institutions and the creative economy.The agenda features keynote addresses from industry leaders, plenary conversations, immersive breakout sessions and a live student hackathon that positions Carolina as a national convener at the intersection of technology, responsibility and real-world impact.The conference is co-chaired by Jeffrey Bardzell, vice provost for artificial intelligence and chief AI officer, Penny Gordon-Larsen, vice chancellor for research, and Founder of Galleon Strategies and AI industry leader Marina Carreker. The conference will highlight Carolina leadership and featured speakers.Event detailsDate: Monday, April 13, 2026Time: 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.Location: The Friday Center, 100 Friday Center Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27599Registration: Now open on the AI for Public Good webpageFeatured speakersRonnie Chatterji, chief economist, OpenAIThompson Paine, head of geopolitics, AnthropicRick Ingram, Google DeepMindDJ Sampath, senior vice president for AI software & platform, CiscoGina Loften, Fortune 100 Board Director, former chief technology officer, MicrosoftDan Folliard, former chief digital and AI officer for U.S. Special Operations CommandLee H. Roberts, chancellor, UNC‑Chapel HillMagnus Egerstedt, provost, UNC‑Chapel HillI-Sah Hsieh, deputy secretary for AI & policy, N.C. Department of Information TechnologyBrad Briner, treasurer of North CarolinaCarolina faculty and expert speakers will present research and lead conversations on AI in health, discovery and resilience, governance, national security, the arts and implementation at scale. Speakers include:Penny Gordon‑Larsen (Health, Discovery & Resilience)Jeffrey A. Bardzell (Responsible AI & Governance)Ashok Krishnamurthy (Cancer)Alexander Tropsha (Drug Discovery)Melissa Haendel (Molecular Informatics)Greg Characklis (Insurance & Extreme Weather Risk)Emily Pfaff and Melissa Troester (EHR‑Based Clinical Research)Angel Hsu (EnviroLab)Rick Luettich (Storm Surge Modeling)Mohit Bansal (Natural Language Processing‬)Ron Alterovitz (Robotics)Susan Cohen (Drones)Saba Eskandarian (Cryptography)Michael Kosorok (Precision Medicine Modeling)As AI rapidly reshapes research, healthcare, public policy and creative fields, this conference seeks to move beyond abstract debate and toward high-impact models, yielding accountable, effective and equitable AI systems from academic advances and scientific innovations, especially those happening at Carolina.You May Also Like... University Library unveils generative AI tool customized for Tar HeelsAt the Jan. 29 grand opening of the Library AI Studio in Davis Library, attendees explored the PromptLab platform and more. Doctoral student also wearable tech CEOLessons he learned as a Tar Heel help Jasper Mark balance his medical school studies and a start-up company. The Well: Carolina news delivered to your inbox ↗Want more Carolina news? The Well newsletter updates Tar Heels on UNC-Chapel Hill’s top stories, upcoming events and campus accolades, arriving in your inbox every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning. UNC Health, Duke Health partner on new children’s hospitalNC Children’s will be North Carolina’s first freestanding hospital dedicated to caring for kids. #GDTBATH: Mel DaliliThe Carolina sophomore shares her life through her poems, tours and activities on campus. Nutritionist connects research from Galapagos to Helene reliefHeather Wasser focuses her work on safe infant feeding, a concern after the storm hit western North Carolina. Biology student’s quick response saves a lifeDuring a BIOL 119 hospital shift, Neha Varrier did CPR on a patient until help arrived. Try this one study hack: Peer TutoringThis fall, nearly a thousand Tar Heels got help from fellow students through this free Learning Center program.