AUM Innovation Weekend to challenge River Region college students to design trustworthy AI solutions
College students from across Montgomery’s River Region are invited put their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test at Auburn University at Montgomery’s Innovation Weekend, Oct. 16-18.
Hosted by AUM’s College of Sciences in collaboration with The Eagle Institute, Innovation Weekend will bring together undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities across the River Region who share interests in research, innovation and entrepreneurship to tackle technologically demanding, real-world challenges in interdisciplinary teams. Reserve your spot at Innovation Weekend.
The event is free and will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, at The Eagle Institute, located at 39 Dexter Ave. in downtown Montgomery. Meals and refreshments will be provided. Transportation from AUM’s campus to the Eagle Institute will also be provided.
This fall challenge’s theme, “Building Trustworthy AI Agents,” focuses on advanced AI systems capable of making decisions and carrying out tasks across multiple platforms with limited human oversight. While AI agents offer opportunities across fields ranging from education to health care to business and engineering, they also present challenges involving bias, misinformation and transparency.
“AI agents are transforming the way people learn, work and make decisions, but their growing autonomy also raises important questions about bias, misinformation and transparency,” said Douglas Leaman, dean of AUM’s College of Sciences. “We want students to think critically about how these tools can be designed to be reliable and transparent while still delivering the speed and efficiency that makes them valuable.”
The Eagle Institute offers ample collaborative space to support experimentation, research, innovation and problem-solving. Over the three-day event, students will use the institute’s facilities to work in teams across disciplines to explore how AI agents can be designed to support critical thinking while maintaining the speed and advantages that have contributed to their growing use.
“Innovation Weekend gives students an opportunity to not only work across disciplines, but also across institutions to learn from one another and apply their skills to a complex, real-world problem,” Leaman said. “Our goal is to help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset while connecting them with the types of challenges they may encounter in the workforce.”
The weekend will wrap up Sunday with teams refining their ideas and preparing pitches to present their proposed solutions to a panel of expert judges. Judges will select the winning ideas, with prizes awarded to top teams. Participants also may gain access to future research internships, collaboration opportunities or pathways to work with industry and government partners to help move their ideas beyond the competition.
About AUM Innovation Weekend
Innovation Weekend is designed to strengthen connections between students, regional colleges and universities, and the workforce providing participants with experience solving real-world solutions. The event also offers opportunities for students to build professional connections, strengthen resumes, and potentially turn ideas developed during the weekend into future entrepreneurial or research projects.
