AI is coming for Rhode Island’s workforce—but what that means depends on how well we prepare workers, students, businesses and policymakers for the changes ahead. Which jobs will be transformed or eliminated? What new opportunities will emerge? Are our schools and colleges teaching the skills people will need to succeed? And how can Rhode Island make sure the AI revolution creates opportunity here rather than leaving workers behind?
On Sept. 17, we’ll bring together leaders from government, higher education, cybersecurity and the technology sector to explore what AI could mean for Rhode Island—and what we should be doing now to prepare for it.
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Beane is for president and COO of RAISE US. He's the forrmer Deputy Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce and former Rhode Island COO and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Beane brings a government and economic-development perspective to the conversation. He can speak to the broader economic implications of AI, how governments can prepare for technological change, and what Rhode Island needs to do to compete for jobs and investment in an increasingly AI-driven economy.
A professor of computer science and information systems at Rhode Island College, Henry has more than 40 years of experience spanning academia, technology and military service. He designed Rhode Island's first undergraduate major in artificial intelligence and two AI-related minors, and has been deeply involved in the state's efforts to develop AI and cybersecurity education. As a member of Rhode Island's Governor's AI Task Force and Higher Ed AI Policy Task Force, he is particularly well positioned to discuss how we prepare Rhode Islanders for the jobs of an AI-driven economy—and how education itself will have to change.
Langevin represented Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District in Congress from 2001 to 2023, where he was a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and chaired its Cybersecurity, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee. He was also a founding and senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee. Now the Distinguished Chair at Rhode Island College's Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies, Langevin brings a national policy and cybersecurity perspective to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Milhouse is the founder and CEO of yconic, an AI-focused startup working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and venture capital. He is also the founder of CareerDevs, DevAccelerator and SiliconXL, organizations focused on developing technology talent and helping launch startups. His perspective offers a look at what AI looks like from inside the technology and startup ecosystem—and how dramatically AI is already changing the way people build companies, develop products and acquire skills.
Ottun is a strategist, attorney and cybersecurity and AI expert who focuses on the intersection of technology, leadership and responsible innovation. A seasoned speaker and coach, she helps leaders navigate emerging technologies while keeping people at the center of decision-making. Her work spans AI ethics, cybersecurity resilience, strategic foresight and women’s leadership, bringing a practical perspective to the question of how organizations can adopt AI thoughtfully and responsibly.
Dan McGowan is a Rhode Island-based columnist for the Boston Globe. He authors Globe Rhode Island’s widely read daily newsletter, Rhode Map, and moderates in-person panels, discussions, and events for the Globe as part of “Rhode Map Live.” He also leads and curates “Dan McGowan’s Scoop on Providence Politics,” a popular Facebook community with more than 7,400 members. His award-winning columns offer insights and analysis of Rhode Island politics, education, and economic development (and, occasionally, parenthood and sports). He joined the Globe in 2019 after spending six years with WPRI-TV, where he covered Providence City Hall and schools. He has won numerous awards from the Rhode Island Press Association, and was part of a team that won a New England Emmy award for its investigation into a powerful Democratic state lawmaker who lied about where he was living. He also won an Associated Press award for “best hard news feature” for a report on questionable spending of taxpayer dollars by members of the Providence City Council. He got his start in journalism as the news editor at GoLocalProv, and has written freelance stories for Politico, Providence Monthly, and The Providence Phoenix. Dan lives in Providence and is a frequent guest on Rhode Island PBS’ political roundtable show “Lively Experiment,” news/talk radio station WPRO, and other Rhode Island media outlets. He is a board member for Access/RI, a nonprofit that advocates for improving citizen access to government records. In his spare time, he coaches youth baseball.
