Inaugural AI Day launches to explore the future of work and learning
The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary will mark a significant milestone on April 1 with its first-ever AI Day, an immersive, community-driven event designed to demystify artificial intelligence and explore its growing role in business, education, and the future of work.
Organized by the school’s AI Fellows and supported by the AI Steering Committee, the event brings together students, faculty, and staff for a shared learning experience rooted in both curiosity and practicality.
The event will take place at the Ukrop Design Studio in Miller Hall 2052, beginning at 8:45 am. While registration is not required, attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a seat. The program will feature a range of insightful sessions, including:
- Supercharging Productivity Using AI: Sully Naef & Ida Guerami
- Keynote Address: Mark Treshock
- Working with AI Agents via the Langchain Ecosystem: Will Evans
- Student Team Showcases
- The Future of AI: Tucker Peters
- And much more...
At its core, AI Day is about accessibility. Rather than treating artificial intelligence as an abstract or intimidating concept, the event aims to ground it in real-world applications that attendees can immediately understand and use.
“AI Day is a must-attend experience because it creates an opportunity to better understand AI in a practical and relevant way,” said AI Fellow Aveek Sur. “There is a lot of fear around AI right now, especially among students navigating a challenging job market.”
That concern is not unfounded. Recent data shows that 61 percent of 2026 seniors feel pessimistic about their job prospects. Yet, alongside that uncertainty lies a powerful shift. Between 40 and 50 percent of businesses report actively seeking candidates who can effectively use AI tools.
AI Day is designed to help bridge that gap.
“By engaging with AI and learning how to apply these tools, students can better position themselves for the evolving job market,” Sur said. “It is not just about understanding AI. It is about learning how to use it in a way that adds value.”
The conversation extends beyond students. Faculty and staff face their own set of challenges as artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the academic landscape. Questions around academic integrity, critical thinking, and responsible use have led some educators to consider restricting AI altogether.
AI Day offers a different path forward.
“For faculty, one of the biggest challenges is integrating AI without students offloading their critical thinking,” Sur said. “Some have taken the route of banning it, but that may ultimately be detrimental in an AI-driven economy. This event shows how AI can be incorporated in a way that enhances learning rather than replaces it.”
For Sur, the impact of AI is deeply personal. As a student who once felt out of place in more traditional career paths such as international relations and government, he found a new direction through emerging applications in AI-driven marketing.
“AI has been a game changer for me,” he said. “I am now building modules to forecast video performance and experimenting with combining visuals from tools like HeyGen or Sora with human storytelling. It has fundamentally changed how I learn and how I think about my professional development.”
That balance between technology and humanity is a central theme of the day.
“The biggest takeaway I want attendees to have is that AI will not replace humans,” Sur said. “Especially in areas like nuance, context, emotional intelligence, and authenticity. What it can do is multiply your value. The key is learning how to use it in a way that complements what makes you uniquely human.”
As the Mason School launches this inaugural event, AI Day signals more than a single day of programming. It reflects a broader commitment to preparing its community not just to adapt to change, but to lead it.