Discussion Highlights from the 2024 ADVanced Vehicles and Information Technology Conference
The 2024 AV/IT Summit, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on August 1, brought together industry leaders to discuss key strategies and trends in AI-driven solutions, workplace redesign, and AV-IT collaboration.
Julian Phillips, the keynote speaker, encouraged attendees to reorganize industries and processes to realize AI's benefits. Phillips linked AI's transformative power to past technological revolutions like the steam engine and electricity. He also discussed Amara's Law, which suggests that people tend to overestimate the impact of new technology in the short term but underestimate it in the long term.
One of the main focuses of the summit was the integration of AI into AV workflows. Sessions like “The Future of AI-Driven Digital Signage: Unlocking Context-Aware Experience” and “Quantum AI Transforming Pro AV and Smart Cities in the Next Decade” highlighted AI's role in creating context-aware, intelligent digital signage and in enabling smart city infrastructure through AV systems.
The summit also emphasized the importance of workplace redesign and hybrid work. Discussions covered hybrid workplaces leveraging AI, IoT, and 5G to enhance business innovation, customer interaction, and operational agility. For example, “Bridging Worlds: Smart AV and Video Conferencing Powering New-Age Learning” indicated a focus on AI-enabled video conferencing and AV solutions to redesign workplaces and learning environments for hybrid and remote collaboration.
Another significant aspect of the summit was the promotion of cross-disciplinary leadership, bringing together AV and IT professionals to build cyber-resilient infrastructure and develop digital agility for a tech-driven world. Panel topics such as “Beyond the Degree – Building Digital Agility for a Tech-Driven World” and “Data, Devices & Defense – Building a Cyber-Resilient Infrastructure” underlined strategies for close collaboration to meet security, device integration, and network demands.
The summit also featured specialized tracks tailored for vertical markets, highlighting unique challenges in sectors like education. AI-driven smart AV solutions were presented as key enablers of next-generation learning and collaboration environments.
In the education sector, C. Ann Kelly from Yale University emphasized the importance of evaluating the interests of different learners and creating spaces to support their learning, along with the infrastructure to facilitate communication among students. Pace University's George Chacko advised providing accessibility discreetly, so students don't feel singled out.
Businesses were also prioritizing the creation of integrated spaces that can support both in-office and remote workers. Alan Nicholls from MAXHUB advised having a project manager to bridge the gap between AV and IT experts. Kevin Laugherty with CVS Health stressed the importance of creating an environment where everything works together seamlessly.
The panel "AV/IT Technology's Roles in Modern Higher Ed Classrooms and Campus" was convened by Erin Maher-Moran, IT manager of classroom technology at Johns Hopkins University, and was presented by the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). Rich Miller from Pace University stressed the importance of introducing technology that faculty members feel comfortable using. Matt Morgan from Ross Video emphasized the importance of robust communication systems in workplaces with a mix of remote and in-person work.
Steve Greenblatt from Control Concepts emphasized the importance of considering critical concerns, such as uptime and security, when approaching IT collaboration as an AV professional. Ashish Maru from Red Thread noted that employees need to be able to express themselves through communication without being hindered by technology.
Tyler Kulp from AVI Systems emphasized the need for prioritizing network resources and advocated for a strategic approach to operations. Julian Phillips shared an example of an AI-generated promotional video of the Amalfi Coast.
The summit concluded with a discussion on the importance of achieving equity in creating flexible spaces that accommodate various working styles. The afternoon discussion "The AV/IT Handshake: How to Facilitate Technology and Teams" explored the possibility of effective collaboration between AV and IT experts. Verrex's Ben Dandola-Grubb raised the point that organizations today leverage some semblance of unified conferencing, suggesting that AV and IT need to coexist.
Overall, the summit advocated leveraging AI, IoT, and 5G technologies to revolutionize AV systems for smarter, more agile workplaces and educational settings, with strong collaboration between AV and IT professionals to ensure robust, secure, and innovative solutions across industries.
Financial investments in technology, particularly AI and AV-IT collaboration, are crucial for businesses aiming to stay competitive in the digital era. Education and self-development sectors can benefit significantly from AI-driven smart solutions to create engaging and flexible learning environments.
