Events
The Human Edge: Our Future with Artificial Intelligences
Date
September 17, 2025 08:00am - 06:00pm
Location
RTI International Headquarters
3040 East Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
United States
Higher education leaders, researchers, and practitioners met at RTI International headquarters in September 2025 to explore the evolution of the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Presented by RTI and Elon University, the event aimed to generate a research agenda, guide the evolution in a positive direction, and bring attention to regional AI capabilities.
Topics included education, workforce, and labor; human agency and creativity; mental and physical health and well-being; and AI governance and democracy. With support from Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Knight Foundation, and Schmidt Sciences, the program was organized by the Imagining the Digital Future Center at Elon University, and RTI International's Fellows Program and University Collaboration Office.
Event Agenda and Recordings
Opening Remarks
- Tim J. Gabel, President and CEO, RTI International
- Connie Ledoux Book, President, Elon University
- Brian Southwell, Distinguished Fellow and Conference Co-Organizer, RTI International
Keynote Addresses
- James Boyle, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law, Duke University, and author of The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood, on legal and philosophical issues raised by intelligent agents
Watch James Boyle's Keynote Address
- Erich Huang, Head of Clinical Informatics at Verily (Google’s life sciences subsidiary) and Chief Science & Innovation Officer for Unduo/Verily on the latest trends in AI, and healthcare innovations and how they affect human well-being
Regional Capabilities Panel
A forward-looking set of lightning talks by leaders at regional universities and the National Humanities Center sharing their institutional capabilities in AI, establishing the region as a star hub for AI.
Moderator: Katie Bowler Young, Senior Director, RTI University Collaborations
Panelists:
- Ganesh Bora, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Chief Research Officer, Fayetteville State University
- Penny Gordon-Larsen, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Siobahn Day Grady, Founding Director, Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research, and Associate Professor of Information Science, North Carolina Central University
- Melissa Hodge-Penn, Interim Vice Chancellor for Research, North Carolina A&T State University
- Rachel (Ray) Levy, Executive Director of Data Science and AI Academy and Professor of Mathematics, North Carolina State University
- Sherine Obare, Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Michael J. Pencina, Vice Dean for Data Science and Chief Data Scientist, Duke University School of Medicine
- Mike Williams, Vice President for Education Programs, National Humanities Center
Lunch Buffet and Plenary Address
- Lee Rainie, Director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center, Elon University, unveils a report with new research findings regarding public attitudes about the impact of AIs on key human capacities and traits.
