The Monterey Bay DART and the Institute for Innovation & Economic Development (iiED) held an engaging Startup Connect meetup on Tuesday, June 11th. The discussion went beyond AI and delved into the future. Craig Vachon, CEO at AI Redefined  and Jason Schnitzer, CTO & Founder at Yurts AI explored how AI development and deployment could revolutionize different sectors. They stressed the importance of building trust, ensuring safety, and upholding ethical considerations throughout the process. Imagine enhanced enterprise search and data management that intuitively anticipates industry needs, surfacing the correct information at the right time. Pilot training is revolutionized with AI-powered simulations that push boundaries and enhance skills.

Jason Schnitzer, CTO & Founder at Yurts AI, a company that has received $18 million in Series A funding, discussed how his company uses AI for mission-critical systems to ensure security and reliability in national security and regulated industries.

Craig Vachon, CEO at AI Redefined discussed optimizing training programs with AI-powered pilot training platforms developed by the DoD in partnership with leading companies (Joby Aviation, Archer Air) to address scaling challenges and personalize learning. He also touched on similar advancements in AI-assisted training applied to diverse fields, from aviation to professional development. He discussed next-generation AI tools and how advanced AI apprenticeship models can train AI faster with less data, leading to a new era of AI development. 

This isn’t science fiction; it’s the future that AI is creating. The conversations during the meetup focused on the potential of AI-powered tools such as decision optimization agents and operator assistants. Both speakers mentioned that industry experts anticipate that Large Language Models (LLMs) will evolve from managing knowledge to optimizing decision-making processes. This transition is expected to significantly impact businesses across various sectors due to the future of AI.

The fundamental insight? AI is not a replacement for us but a partner in our endeavors. Collaboration is the cornerstone for ensuring this transformative technology’s responsible development and deployment.