EventThese roundtables are intended to highlight each host university’s AI work and include strategic AI panelists to dive into a specific portion of the Michael Best NC AI market survey to better understand how NC’s AI ecosystem can serve the defense community. This series provides a comprehensive analysis of AI within the state, while shedding light on defense opportunities and challenges in this evolving sector. Click here for more information on Best Autonomous Insights. 
Past Events in the Series
Data Decoded: Defense Opportunities in North Carolina's AI Landscape
Thursday, January 25
Hosted at NC State
- Presenters:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
Click here to view the presentation slides.
Deploying AI: NC's Innovators & Creators
Thursday, February 8
Hosted at UNC - Wilmington
- Keynote Speaker:
- John Hardin - Executive Director for NC Board of Science, Technology & Innovation
- Moderator:
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
- Panelists:
- Rob Cooley - CEO Nuream; former U.S. Army Reserve Command Chief of Staff at Ft. Liberty
- Brandon Conover - CEO Practical Scientific Solutions; CTO BioMojo
- Dr. Young "Sammi" Choi - Director, Department of Research, Womack Army Medical Center
- Toni Pence - UNCW Department of Computer Science, Interim Chair
Defense AI Deployment: Practical & Ethical Concerns of AI-Embedded Warfare
Thursday, February 22
Hosted at TechNet Conference in collaboration with Fayetteville State University
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Take Flight
Panelists review the various defense programs and compliance regimes that continue to grow in light of the private sector growth and battlefield data coming from Ukraine and other sectors.
- Moderator:
- Chris Keon, Raven Advisor
- Panelists:
- Patrick Alcorn - Principal Big Data and Analytics Solutions Architect, SAS Institute
- Colonel Mathew Elliot - Aviation Officer - G32 Director, XVIII Airborne Corps
- Troy Hittle - Managing Director- North America, Elistair
AI Embedded Warfare
Panelists will discuss the goals and challenges of integrating AI and autonomy into defense technologies and doctrine. Industry is developing new capabilities to provide the future warfighter with high performing autonomous robotics and advanced data analytics that create unfair advantages and expand human performance. Embedding these capabilities demands a fresh look at technology assessment as well as policies and rules of engagement.
- Moderator:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Panelists:
- Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Kenny, Ph.D. - Commander, 112th Signal Battalion, SOCOM
- Lieutenant Colonel Randy Linnemann - Army Chief Information Officer, 101st Airborne Division
- Dr. Hans Mumm - Director of Special Projects, Victory Systems
- John Turner - Acting Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (DCDAO) for Policy, CDAO
AI User Experience: Personel & Warfighter Perspectives
Thursday, March 21
Hosted at UNC Charlotte
- Moderators:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
- Panelists:
- Dr. Min Shin - UNC Charlotte
- Dr, Srinivas Akella - UNC Charlotte
- Dr. Srijan Das - UNC Charlotte CharMLab
- Tate Nurkin - The Atlantis Council, OTH Intelligence Group
- Andy Korczynski - Chief Architect, General Motors
- Lieutenant Colonel Randy Linnemann - Army Chief Information Officer, 101st Airborne Division
Trends & Pathways to Defense Incorporation
Tuesday, April 2
Hosted at North Carolina A&T
- Moderators:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
- Panelists:
- Karl Ricanek - CEO Lapetus, UNC Wilmington
- Darshan Divakaran - Airspace Innovation & Prime Partnerships Head, AFWERX
- Dr. Abdollah (Ebbie) Homaifar - North Carolina A&T
- Dr. Ali Karimoddini - North Carolina A&T
AI Applications within the Defense Industry
Tuesday, April 23
Hosted at East Carolina University
- Moderator:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Presenters:
- Phil Williams, Defense Alliance of NC
- Dr. Nic Herndon, College of Engineering & Technology
- Dr. David Hart, Dept. of Computer Science
- Dr. Ciprian "Chip" Popoviciu, College of Engineering & Technology
- Colby Sawyer, Dept. of Technology Systems
- Tad Sylivant, Advanced Technology and Innovation (ATI) Team Lead
AI Decoding North Carolina's AI Landscape Series
Tuesday, May 2
Hosted at Wake Forest University
- Moderators:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
- Keynote Speaker:
- Umit Topaloglu - National Cancer Institute, Wake Forest
- Panelists:
- Basil Yap - President, AeroX
- Eric Kirkendall - Director of Digital Health Information, Atrium Health and Wake Forest
- Nancy Chrisman - UAS Strategic Account Director, Crown Castle
- Dr. Fan Yang - Wake Forest University
- Phil Emer - Senior Director of Innovation, Microelectronics Center of North Carolina
- Dr. Sean Anderson - High Computing Performance, Wake Forest
Resistance is Futile: Lessons Learned and Paths Forward
Thursday, May 16
Hosted at Duke University
- Moderators:
- Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best
- Kyle Snyder, Michael Best
- Panelists:
- Dr. Yiran Chen - Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Duke
- Travis Hartman - CTO, Army FORSCOM
- Dev Palmer - Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing, DARPA
- Dr. Michael Salpukas - Sr. Fellow AI and Advanced Algorithms, Raytheon
Related People Preview Attorney's BiographyLyle focuses his practice in the area of intellectual property and transactional law. He provides end-to-end counsel to help clients identify, protect, and commercialize IP assets including trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. He works closely with his clients to understand their business priorities and help them align their IP, contractual, and government procurement needs to support those goals.
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