Unravel the mystery of AI at the Ashland Theatre in May

HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- From resumes to understanding Python, how useful is artificial intelligence (AI) in your everyday life? Try to unravel this question alongside two Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) professors in May at the Ashland Theatre.

The free community event, "Demystifying AI," takes place at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 20, in the Ashland Theatre, and will feature a live demonstration and discussion with Christine Holzem, current Adjunct Professor at VCU, and Dr. Jason Merrick, Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics at VCU and internationally recognized expert in decision and risk analysis.

An announcement from the town stated that the goal of this event is to "make the world of large language models -- like ChatGPT -- a little less intimidating and a lot more accessible," with Holzem and Merrick exploring how generative AI shapes how humans function. People will also have the opportunity to learn through a live demonstration and an audience question-and-answer.

“AI isn’t a magic wand,” says Downtown Ashland Association’s Executive Director “Coach” Antonio Miller. “But it can be a powerful partner. The key is understanding when to trust the tool -- and when to trust yourself. We can trust Dr. Merrick and Christine Holzem are up to the task of demystifying AI and inspiring audiences.”

Holzem brings nearly four decades of experience guiding organizations through transformation, from cybersecurity to Six Sigma, as well as global marketing to Information technology (IT) strategy across the Federal Reserve System. Known for empowering future leaders, she now teaches VCU’s capstone students how to harness tools like ChatGPT to solve complex, real-world problems.

The announcement said Holzem, who is also a retired Group Vice President of National IT for the Federal Reserve Banks, has decades of experience in cybersecurity, global marketing and IT. On the other hand, Merrick has over $3 million in research funding and clients like ExxonMobil, examining choices made due to science and analytics.

"Demystifying AI" is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Ashland government's website.