Event Highlights - May 1, 2025
Are You Worried About The Cost, Complexity, Or Risks of AI? You're Not Alone. Many Businesses Fear AI Is Too Expensive, Too Risky And Too Difficult To Implement.
Are You Still Relying On Outdated Processes? AI Can Help Automate Tasks, Enhance Customer Engagement, And Free Up Your Team To Focus On What Matters Most, Growing Your Business.
Is AI Just For Big Corporations? No! Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Can Leverage AI To Boost Productivity, Streamline Operations, And Increase Revenue, Without Breaking The Bank.
A panel discussion with with practical advice on unlocking AI and building an AI Strategy.
This engaging panel discussion brought together expert voices across industry and academia to provide actionable guidance on AI adoption. Panelists included Natalie Arthurs and Saba Siddiqi from the AI Hub at Durham College, Rick Menassa of Health Espresso, and Ali Sharifi, Co-founder of Nubinary. Together, they unpacked key roadblocks businesses face when adopting AI including cost, complexity, and workforce readiness, while offering practical steps to overcome them.
The discussion balanced both strategic insight and grounded realities, from how to pilot small-scale AI solutions to integrating AI ethically across operations. Attendees walked away with renewed clarity on where to begin and how to align AI strategies with business goals, no matter their organization’s size or sector.
Breakout session for Innovators and Developers interested in integrating AWS's AI/ML services in their tech-stack.
Led by Rahul Pisal from Amazon Web Services, this session was designed for those ready to go beyond exploration and into implementation. Pisal demonstrated how AWS’s extensive AI/ML stack empowers organizations to rapidly build intelligent solutions, without requiring a full data science team.
Attendees learned how to architect scalable AI workflows using AWS tools exploring real-world applications such as predictive maintenance, personalized recommendations, and document automation. Rahul emphasized flexibility, showing how businesses can start small, optimize over time, and avoid upfront infrastructure costs.
For those wondering how to integrate AI into existing operations, this session offered technical blueprints and a clear path forward.
Breakout session for adopters wanting to boost personal productivity.
In a dynamic and relatable session, Jonathan Carrigan from Durham College broke down how AI can transform the way we work, personally and professionally. This session focused less on big data and more on daily habits, demonstrating how tools like Deep Research in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google NotebookLM can help professionals work smarter.
Attendees were encouraged to explore how AI can offload repetitive tasks, freeing up mental space for creativity and strategic thinking. Jonathan shared tangible tools, practical frameworks, and tips to integrate AI mindfully into the workday without being overwhelmed by complexity.
This breakout session was a favorite among newcomers to AI, offering both inspiration and accessible entry points.
Industry Use-Case Competition — videos, pitches, expert panel, audience voting
One of the day’s most anticipated highlights, the AI Impact Awards celebrated bold ideas and real-world execution. Five finalists - Forged Operations, Adoreyes, Dialectic, IndigiLink Pro, and Mode40 - pitched live to a packed audience and expert panel featuring leaders from NRC-IRAP, Angel Investors Durham, Minutebox, and Ontario Centre of Innovation.
Each finalist shared how their AI solution addressed business pain points, from workforce optimization to inclusive health and beauty solutions. With a mix of video demos, live Q&A, and audience voting, the session was both interactive and insightful.
Adoreyes was crowned the winner of the $1,000 cash prize, earning nearly 50% of the audience vote for its innovative use of AI in personalized beauty consultation. The session proved that AI isn’t just a buzzword, it’s actively transforming how industries solve real-world problems today.
In recognition of the incredible talent shaping the future of AI, this year’s Student & Alumni Impact Awards were presented by Patrick Lyver from the Durham College Alumni Association. This section spotlighted two individuals whose work exemplifies innovation, leadership, and community impact.
Andrew Mark Dale, recipient of the Student Impact Award, began his journey with the AI Hub as a work-study student. Now a mentor and project lead, Andrew has contributed to over five client-facing projects focused on Large Language Models, NLP, and AI strategy. He played a key role in developing an AI-powered recovery support app, where his prompt engineering ensured ethical and empathetic user engagement. Andrew also helped build the Hub’s own suite of demonstration tools, including a scalable LLM/RAG platform and public-facing AI chatbot. Known for his clarity and enthusiasm, he now leads many of the Hub’s public tours and demos.
Navaneeth Jawahar, honored with the Alumni Impact Award, has steadily risen from Research Assistant to Principal Investigator since joining the AI Hub in 2021. Nav has led over 15 applied AI projects across Canada, specializing in generative AI, multimodal systems, and scalable infrastructure. He has mentored more than 20 student researchers and helped architect the Hub’s cloud environment, boosting reliability and project velocity. His deep commitment to mentorship and real-world AI impact makes him a model alumnus.
If AI Were a Personality, What Kind of Beer Would It Brew?
This year’s networking hour had an innovative twist, literally brewed into every bottle. In collaboration with the Centre for Craft Brewing and Innovation, the AI Hub unveiled The Logical Problem-Solver, a West Coast IPA developed with help from OpenAI.
The beer was the result of a playful yet groundbreaking experiment: using AI algorithms to influence ingredient selection and flavor profiling. Attendees not only got to sample the beer but also learned how AI’s predictive capabilities can extend into sensory experiences and product development.
Set against an atmosphere of clinking glasses and curious minds, the tasting served as a relaxed space to continue the day’s conversations, forge new collaborations, and celebrate what’s possible when creativity meets computation.
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