Virginia Peninsula Community College recently hosted a two-day seminar on artificial intelligence. Even before it ended, attendee James Cloud had reached out to his employer about the possibility of adding Business AI to their Facebook account.
Cloud, who works in information technology in the City of Newport News’ Human Services department, noted the city has a business account on Facebook, as well as an agency Facebook page.
“It’s just a matter of adding the AI agent part to it. Then they can reach customers even better,” he said.
Similarly, Lolitta Miller, an HRIS, data and organizational management analyst for Liebherr USA, Co., was already considering how to apply lessons from the seminar at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center. She highlighted Microsoft Notebook LM and workflow systems that improve efficiency.
Her department uses AI to improve business writing skills, but that is just a fraction of what’s available.
In addition to the seminar, Cloud had recently attended a government-sponsored AI conference in Richmond. He noted while both events covered similar topics, there was a notable distinction.
“This class seemed to more favor the use of AI, where the governance conference a couple of weeks ago was use it but be very, very careful,” he said. “Even though they said be careful here, they said go ahead and use these products and try them out.”
Another presenter noted using AI search tools doesn’t always generate correct information. Miller noted AI is good for research, but it’s up to each user to doublecheck the information is correct and sources are cited.
James recalls hearing at least three of the presenters say the human aspect has to remain. There’s a lot to learn as AI becomes more mainstream and more accepted. Sometimes, it feels as if he has twice as much information to learn.
“Our department is governed by both the city and the state, so some rules and policies that you can do on the city side, the state says no, and vice versa,” he said. “So, we are kind of caught in the middle.”
Overall, it was a great experience. He said the best part was how the seminar opened his eyes to things about AI he didn’t even know. And almost all the speakers made it sound more doable than he expected.
“It opened the door for a lot of conversation,” he said.
Miller appreciated how the presenters had different perspectives on AI. On the first day, she learned how to choose which AI tools to use. She noted those in attendance worked for private and public companies, government agencies and small businesses.
Attendees were encouraged to bring their laptops for a more interactive experience. At one point, Miller asked AI to put the information in a chart so it would be easier to analyze.
Peyton Cox owns 757Comply, a company that offers AI-powered business solutions. He was one of the presenters and got as much out of it as the attendees did.
“I actually spent 10-15 minutes talking with people after the fact, just asking them what they gained from the (event),” he said.
From his perspective, they were attentive and acquired a better understanding of how to use AI in their businesses.
Dr. Adrienne E. Cosby, the director of Business Solutions and Corporate Training and Development with the College, said about 50 people attended the seminar, after which each received a certificate.
“Together, these sessions painted a compelling picture of AI’s future, spanning strategy, ethics, collaboration, and real-world execution,” she said. “The experience strengthened Virginia Peninsula Community College’s position as a driving force in shaping the future of applied AI education and workforce development in our community.”
