June and July Innov8 Discussions Focus on Smart Cities and the Value of IT Organizations

While the topics differed, virtual summer sessions of ASU and UTO’s monthly speaker series, Innov8, were alike in that they looked forward to the broadening of communities and service to them. Whether the subject was smart cities or the value of IT organizations, Innov8’s June and July speakers eloquently addressed ways to improve our surroundings.

On June 24, Dell Technologies Digital Communities Chief Technology Officer Rob Silverberg looked at smart city developments through the lens of artificial intelligence (AI). Smart cities, communities and campuses are being built with the capabilities of devices connected through the internet of things (IoT) to improve everyday life for their citizens.

And as Silverberg pointed out, AI is making those improvements real. AI is effectively enriching environment and utility, economic growth, citizen engagement, mobility, public safety, and digital government initiatives in a number of cities and regions. Some results AI is making possible include:

  • Optimized traffic flows

  • Reduced energy consumption

  • Predictive policing

  • Improved city functions

  • Measurement of air and water quality

  • Automated waste management

These individual projects eventually cohere into the promise of smart cities that grow their digital footprint to serve all of the communities they touch.

Likewise, Dr. Jeffrey Kaplan, founding partner of LIFTinnovate, spoke to how technology can improve lives and operations. During his session on July 15, Kaplan explained his latest research: The GREAT Value Migration. Kaplan discovered that the roles and expectations of IT staff are changing, with five major shifts happening within our lifetimes.

  1. Data to Meaning

  2. Ownership to Consumption

  3. Mandate to Adoption

  4. Management to Leadership

  5. Vision to Value

These general shifts move from a much more technical and rigid perspective to one that can serve consumers and aspiring professionals alike much more effectively and comprehensively. 

ASU’s Innov8 Speaker Series is held every month, and we’re already looking forward to the August installment with Amazon Web Service’s Aditya Challa. Register now at https://uto.asu.edu/events.