Maryville College Hosts Second Annual AI Summit

Event to explore artificial intelligence across education, business and society

Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:03am

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Maryville College is hosting its second annual AI Summit on May 12-13, 2026, bringing together educators, technologists, nonprofit leaders, and business professionals to examine how artificial intelligence is transforming teaching and learning, professional practice, and society more broadly.

Why it matters

The summit reflects Maryville College's ongoing AI Initiative, which encourages thoughtful exploration of artificial intelligence through the lens of the liberal arts. Rather than approaching AI solely as a technical innovation, the initiative invites the community to examine its ethical implications, social impact, and practical applications across disciplines.

The details

The two-day event will feature 50-minute summit sessions on topics such as teaching and learning in the age of AI, applications of AI in business and nonprofit organizations, and the social, cultural, and environmental implications of artificial intelligence. Organizers are currently accepting proposals from potential presenters, and additional programming details including keynote speakers and panel discussions will be announced in the coming weeks.

  • The 2026 AI Summit will take place on May 12 and 13.
  • The deadline to submit proposals for summit sessions is 11:59 p.m. (ET) on March 18, 2026.

The players

Maryville College

A nationally ranked institution of higher learning and one of America's oldest colleges, located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville.

Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski

Director of the Maryville College Career Center and one of the summit's organizers.

Blount Partnership

The key sponsor of the AI Summit, continuing its support of collaborative conversations that connect education, industry, and the broader community.

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What they’re saying

“This year, we're expanding the conversation. We want to bring together educators, business professionals, nonprofit leaders and technologists to talk about how AI is affecting their work and how it is shaping our communities and our world.”

— Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski, Director of the Maryville College Career Center

“Artificial intelligence raises questions that go far beyond technology. A liberal arts environment is the perfect place to bring different perspectives together — people thinking about education, business, ethics and culture — and ask how these tools should be used and what kind of future we want to build with them.”

— Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski, Director of the Maryville College Career Center

What’s next

Organizers plan to announce additional programming details, including keynote speakers and panel discussions, in the coming weeks. They also encourage organizations or businesses interested in supporting the summit to contact them at aisummit@maryvillecollege.edu.

The takeaway

Maryville College's AI Summit reflects the institution's commitment to exploring the ethical, social, and practical implications of artificial intelligence through the lens of the liberal arts. By bringing together diverse perspectives from education, industry, and the broader community, the summit aims to foster thoughtful conversations about how AI should be used to shape the future.