Beth Rudden

CEO and Chairwoman of Bast AI

Keynote:
AI for everyone: Rethinking inclusion in the age of intelligent technology

May 6, 9:05 – 10:05 a.m.
Convocation Hall

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we work, communicate, and make decisions—but is it truly built for everyone? While AI has the potential to drive innovation and efficiency, its development too often reflects a narrow range of experiences, leading to systems that fail to serve the diverse communities that rely on them. If we want AI to be a force for progress, we must rethink who is represented in its design, development, and deployment.

In this keynote, Beth Rudden—a leader in AI ethics and digital transformation—will challenge us to move beyond the status quo and consider the ways AI can become more human-centered, transparent, and equitable. Through real-world examples and emerging trends, she will explore how bias in AI affects the tools we use every day, why diversity in AI development isn’t just an ethical issue but a strategic necessity, and how we can foster more inclusive technology in our own professional spaces.

Whether we are building systems, shaping policies, or making data-driven decisions, each of us plays a role in the future of AI. This conversation will invite attendees to reflect on their own impact and consider how they can contribute to an AI landscape that works for all. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A, encouraging a discussion on how we can collectively shape a more welcoming and accessible digital future.

Beth Rudden

Beth Rudden is a dynamic global executive and market creator with over two decades of expertise in IT leadership and cognitive science. Her tenure as chief data officer, chief data scientist and global talent transformation leader saw her deftly steer digital transformations through the strategic deployment of trusted, high-integrity AI systems. Rudden’s vision transformed analytics and AI advances into a profitable $2 billion enterprise, placing her among the foremost 100 leaders in AI ethics.

A staunch proponent and trailblazer of ethical AI, Rudden advocates for the democratization of transparent and responsible AI technologies. She founded Bast AI in 2022, which revolutionizes how organizations leverage full-stack explainable AI to improve business impact and end-user adoption of AI technologies across industries and sectors. Rudden honed her analytical insight with a masters degree in anthropology from the University of Denver and sharpened her literary skills with a classics degree from Florida State University. As an influential keynote speaker, inventor with over 50 patents and author of AI for the Rest of Us, her contributions are formidable.

Beyond her professional achievements, Rudden flourishes in her role as a storyteller, wife of a soldier, mother, mentor and revered science and technology board advisor. Her dedication to fostering educational and innovative pursuits is mirrored in her active role on the Maryville University Board of Trustees, where she tirelessly works to sculpt the next generation of innovators.

Athena Aktipis

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University

Keynote:
The Apocalypse Roadshow: An alternative book tour for A Field Guide to the Apocalypse

May 7, 2:30 – 4 p.m.
Convocation Hall

In an era of escalating crises—from pandemics and climate change to the rapid advancement of AI—many are questioning the resilience of our civilization. Yet history and science reveal a different story: time and again, humans have faced existential threats and found ways to survive and adapt. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, brain science and game theory, cooperation theorist Athena Aktipis explores how our deep-seated abilities to cooperate, innovate and even find joy in adversity have sustained us in the past—and can do so again. Aktipis will also share insights from The Apocalypse Roadshow, an alternative book tour that has taken these ideas on the road—from Route 66 to Australia—through music, storytelling and community-building. With live music from The Apocalypse Roadshow Jamband and interactive audience participation, this talk will offer a hopeful, engaging and interdisciplinary take on how we can navigate an uncertain future together.

Athena Aktipis is a cooperation theorist, evolutionary biologist and cancer biologist working at the intersection of these fields. As well as researching cooperation in humans, particularly in times of need, she studies other systems that are governed by fundamental tensions between cooperation and conflict. Aktipis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, co-director of The Human Generosity Project, co-founder and incoming president of the International Society for Evolution, Ecology and Cancer and the Director of ASU’s Cooperation and Conflict Lab. Aktipis is also a prolific science communicator—she is the host of The Zombified Podcast and the producer of two educational livestream channels: Channel Zed and Cooperation Science Network. Her recent books are A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times and The Cheating Cell: How Evolution Helps Us Understand and Treat Cancer.

Athena Aktipis