Decorative Image

Value & Responsibility in AI Technologies Conference

Gonzaga University's second annual Value & Responsibility in AI Technologies Conference
Date/Time: Thursday, April 23, 2026 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Location: Hemmingson Ballroom

This year’s conference will address three themes through panels and discussions with industry leaders, educators, scholars and healthcare leadership; Personal Identity and Meaning, Learning and Education, and the Future of the Workforce. Look for additional events and workshops throughout the week of April 20-24.

Who Should Attend?

This event convenes scholars, students, thought leaders in education, INW industry professionals and global tech leaders to explore the impact of AI on our identity, educational practices, and the evolving landscape of work.

  • Gonzaga Faculty, Staff and Students: Free
  • Other (non-GU) students: $10
  • Educators (K-12 teachers, Other University employees): $35
  • Industry and General Public: $75
Join industry leaders, educators and innovators exploring the intersection of AI, ethics, and industry through our upcoming flagship conference and workshops.
Register Today

Conference Agenda

Time Topic
8 a.m. Registration check-in open Coffee, fruit and pastries
9 a.m. Welcome, Jay Yang, Ph.D, Reisenauer Family Director | Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology
9:10 a.m. Opening remarks, Katia Passerini, Gonzaga University President
9:30 a.m. A Jesuit approach to Responsible AI, Dr. Anthony Fisher, Ph.D, Department of Philosophy, Gonzaga University
 

How might our sense of self and human autonomy be shaped by AI? Explore how individuals and society can cultivate flourishing and authenticity in a world increasingly influenced by intelligent tech.

Time Topic
10:00a.m. Panel on faith and spirituality in the age of AI
Moderator:
  • Anthony Fisher
Panel:
  • Fr. Tim Clancy, SJ, Gonzaga; Fr. Brendan McGuire, Saint Simon Church
  • Fr. Evaristus Ekwueme, SJ, Georgetown University
11 a.m. Student perspectives
Moderator:
  • Azer Bitanga, Business Administration
Panel:
  • Izzy Tilles, Computer Science
  • Kaelyn Wellman, Philosophy
  • Bella Realmuto, Political Science
  • Aiden O’Brien, Human Physiology
  • Kazu Betzler, MBA, Business
11:45 a.m. Lunch Break: Buffet Lunch Included with Registration
 

Examine how AI is transforming learning strategies, teaching practices and driving pedagogical innovation. Consider how AI is disrupting traditional education, challenging the value of existing outcomes and creating opportunity for more customized and interactive experiences.

Time Topic
1 p.m. Educating in the Age of AI
Moderator:
  • Jay Yang, Institute for Informatics at GU
Panel:
  • Anny Fritzen Case, Gonzaga University
  • Chase Bollig, Gonzaga University
  • Casey Wilhelm, University of Idaho
  • Aaron Wolf, Colgate University
2:00 p.m. AI Technologies for Educators
Moderator:
  • Justin Marquis, Ph.D, Director of Instructional Design and Delivery at GU
Panel:
  • Taylor Black, Director, AI & Emerging Technologies Institute, Catholic University and Director of AI & Venture Ecosystems at Microsoft
  • Jay Yang, Institute for Informatics at GU
  • Playlab
 

Ask how organizations are preparing leadership and individuals to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, challenging not just how we work but the purpose of work itself. Discover how AI is transforming workforce expectations and redefining essential skills.

Time Topic
3 p.m. Professions, Professional Development and Leadership
Moderator:
  • Dave Reisenauer, IIAT Advisory Council Chair, Formerly of Nvidia and IBM
Panel:
  • Brett Spooner, Gravis Law
  • Kellen Sorauf, Regis University
  • Matt Hoag, Gonzaga University
  • Accounting; Grace Yee, Adobe
4:00 p.m. Healthcare in the Age of AI
Moderator:
  • Sean Kassen, University of Notre Dame
Panel:
  • Cyrus Olsen, Scranton University
  • Mark Graves, University of San Francisco
  • Jessica McHugh, MultiCare
  • Scott Hulse, USAF, MC.
    5:00 p.m. Reflections with Anthony Fisher and Jay Yang
    5:30-7:00 p.m. Student Research and Entrepreneurship Showcase
    Happy Hour Reception
     

    Additional Event - Monday, April 20

    AI, Climate Change, and Energy Demand Panel

    Date: Monday, April 20
    Time: 6pm PT
    Location: Hemmingson Ballroom, Gonzaga University and livestreaming.

    AI, Climate Change, and Energy Demand Panel is a public panel discussion co-hosted by the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment, and the Institute of Informatics of Applied Technology, discussing the challenges and opportunities of addressing climate change in an era of rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence. Is it possible to meet our decarbonization and renewable energy goals while satisfying the intense energy demands of AI data centers? Can we have responsible AI and address the climate crisis?

     
    Register for this event
     

    Three Additional Workshops - Friday, April 24

    Workshop on the Ethics of Responsible AI

    Date: Friday, April 24
    Time: 8:25am – 2:30pm
    Location: Wolff Auditorium, Jepson, Gonzaga School of Business

    Deep dive on questions surrounding the ethical underpinnings and practical implementation of responsible AI in the development and deployment of AI technologies. Speakers are from Colgate University, USD, USF, and WSU.

     
    Register as part of conference registration
     

    Workshop Agenda

     
    Time Presenter
    8:45-9:15 a.m. Coffee, tea, snacks
    9:15-9:30 a.m. (Welcome) Anthony Fisher, Gonzaga
    9:30-10:15 a.m. Daniel Tigard, USD
    10:15-11 a.m. Sherri Lynn Conklin, WSU
    11-11:15 a.m. Coffee break
    11:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Aaron Wolf, Colgate
    12-1 p.m. Lunch Buffet
    1-1:45 p.m. Mark Graves, USF
    1:45-2:30 p.m. Grace Yee, Adobe

    Navigating AI in K-12 Education: What We're Learning from Educators

    Date: Friday, April 24
    Time: 10am – 12pm
    Location: The Bollier Center, Room 204

    How are K-12 educators in Washington using AI? What types of AI applications do they wish existed? What support do they want, and what AI-related issues are they grappling with?

    This workshop shares preliminary findings from our experience working with nearly 100 K-12 educators in a multi-day professional development series funded by the Gates Foundation. During the first hour, we will present findings from the AI Academies. In the second hour, attendees will respond to those findings and collectively brainstorm implications and opportunities at the classroom, school system, industry, and policy levels.

    This workshop targets K-12 school and district leaders, ed-tech professionals, and developers. Participants will leave with a clearer picture of how educators are currently incorporating AI and help shape a vision for what comes next.

     
    Register as part of conference registration
     

    Workshop on AI, Law and Policy

    Date: Friday, April 24
    Time: 3-4pm
    Location: Wolff Auditorium, Jepson, Gonzaga School of Business

    This workshop will provide an overview of U.S. innovation law and policy, focusing on the ways in which the law promotes or stifles AI development and deployment. It will also examine how AI is changing risk allocation and liability and what these changes mean for businesses and workers. Lastly, it will look at the interplay of enacted law and regulation with less formal norms that can serve as mechanisms for fostering responsible use of AI across multiple sectors. The speaker for this workshop is Agnieszka McPeak, the Frederick N. & Barbara T. Curley Professor of Commercial Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Program Innovation at Gonzaga Law.

     
    Register as part of conference registration