Latest news with #Ai42025
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Cherokee Nation Shows How AI Governance Can Be Sovereign
When most enterprises and governments evaluate artificial intelligence, their primary lens is return on investment such as how many processes can be automated, how many jobs restructured, and how much efficiency squeezed from the system. At the Ai4 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer of the Cherokee Nation, offers a very different perspective. For sovereign tribal governments like the Cherokee, ROI isn't purely financial. It is cultural, legal, and existential. 'AI must serve the collective good and uphold Cherokee values,' Starr told the audience. 'If a tool compromises that, it doesn't belong in our Nation's systems.' This perspective positions the Cherokee Nation at the forefront of a movement redefining what artificial intelligence governance means. While big tech and large governments experiment with guardrails, the Cherokee Nation is constructing a model rooted in centuries of tradition and sovereignty. From Enterprise ROI To Sovereign ROI The Cherokee Nation, with nearly 480,000 citizens and a land base of 7,000 square miles in northeastern Oklahoma, has ambitions and obligations that extend far beyond typical government IT departments. The question of AI adoption is not simply 'how much faster can a form be processed' or 'what percentage of staff hours can be reduced.' It is about protecting Cherokee data sovereignty, ensuring cultural preservation, and reinforcing treaty rights in the digital era. That shift in framing, away from efficiency and toward sovereignty, has profound implications for how AI is selected, tested, and deployed. In most enterprises, procurement is measured in business outcomes. For the Cherokee Nation, the baseline metric is trust. Citizen data must be treated with the same protection as physical sovereignty, and outcomes must strengthen rather than erode the community's lifeways. The concept of ROI here stretches to include aspects of citizen trust, cultural preservation, and legal autonomy. The key questions to address with AI include are citizens more confident engaging with tribal services, does AI strengthen traditions, language, or practices, and does technology reinforce tribal governance authority? AI in Action: Use Cases Built on Values Starr's presentation outlined several initiatives now underway that showcase how AI can be deployed under this framework. The Gadugi Portal, named after the Cherokee value of working together, is built on Salesforce and augmented with AI to provide authenticated access to tribal services. Rather than reducing headcount, the platform allows more citizens to be served without expanding staffing, improving efficiency while broadening reach across geography. A Legal Agent developed in Microsoft Copilot Studio with assistance from MIT interns, consolidates treaty law, tribal codes, executive orders, and court rulings into a single AI-driven research system. For a sovereign government often required to defend its rights in state and federal courts, this capability accelerates legal decision-making and strengthens sovereignty. The AI Agent, as part of a website refresh launching this year, includes an AI assistant that helps citizens navigate services and applications. The expected result is higher completion rates, 24/7 accessibility, and a reduction in friction for rural citizens. In a unique blending of cultural continuity and conservation, the Nation is using AI-driven scanning to replicate turtle shells traditionally used in ceremonies, without harming wildlife by using 3D printed shells. These examples underscore a central point. AI is not replacing people, it is extending tradition and sovereignty into the digital domain. Governance: Policy Before Code Many enterprises are only now realizing the importance of governance after experimentation with generative AI has already run ahead of regulation. The Cherokee Nation has taken the opposite approach. In October 2024, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued an Executive Order on Data Sovereignty and Self-Governance, creating the AI, Data Sovereignty, and Cybersecurity Task Force. Starr, as CIO, chaired this group, which produced a comprehensive roadmap earlier this year. The report's key recommendations included adoption of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework to provide a baseline for ethics, transparency, and accountability. Also recommended is the creation of dedicated AI and Data Governance Committees with clear roles for policy development, legal review, and risk mitigation. Other recommendations include institution of an AI Questionnaire for evaluating any generative AI tools under consideration, covering oversight, data privacy, bias mitigation, and risk scenarios. The document also aims for standardization of the Cherokee Citizen ID across all data systems, strengthening both sovereignty and service delivery, expansion of data literacy programs for the workforce, ensuring adoption doesn't outpace understanding, and establishment of a Tribal Innovation Summit to generate citizen-driven use cases. Community Values as a Governance Lens The framework is not just technical. It is cultural. Starr shared how Cherokee Community Values are core to the implementation and usage of AI. Principles such as 'detsadasinasdi itsehesdi', translated as live skillfully and resourcefully aims to engage with new technologies to augment talents and skills. 'Detsadageyusesdi' which is to protect each other as a mother with child aims to protect the data of our citizens as we would protect their existence and 'detsadanvwidisgesdi', encourage and instruct one another in a gentle and thoughtful way is focused on meeting the challenges of the future and staying forever resilient. When surveyed, while only 74% of Cherokee citizens said they had limited AI understanding, 70% were open to AI adoption if it was aligned with cultural and ethical standards. That conditional openness is the key, AI is welcome if it is accountable to values. By embedding these cultural guardrails, the Nation ensures that AI outcomes are not only efficient but also consistent with the community's identity. In effect, the Cherokee are demonstrating that governance frameworks grounded in culture may be more effective than those grounded solely in regulation. Broader Context: A Global Movement The Cherokee Nation is not alone in rethinking digital sovereignty. Around the world, Indigenous communities are building frameworks to ensure emerging technologies serve their people rather than exploit them. In Canada, the Indigenous Digital Sovereignty Initiative seeks to give First Nations control over data infrastructure and governance. In New Zealand, the Māori Data Sovereignty Network asserts that data about Māori people should be subject to Māori governance. The Cherokee approach, integrating AI into service delivery while grounding deployments in cultural values, adds a North American model to this growing international movement. For governments worldwide struggling with questions of digital ethics, this experiment in sovereignty-driven AI governance may provide a reference point. Where corporations often prioritize shareholder returns, sovereign nations must prioritize the well-being of citizens and future generations. As Starr put it plainly, 'AI is a tool. But it's our people, our values, and our policy that give it direction.' That framing may turn out to be the most sustainable way to harness AI, because it ties innovation not just to speed and scale but to the long-term continuity of a people.
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. Highlights AI Strategy at Ai4 2025, North America's Leading Artificial Intelligence Conference
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. Highlights AI Strategy at Ai4 2025, North America's Leading Artificial Intelligence Conference David Corak SVP of Corporate Finance & Strategy SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. IR@ SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. ("SmartStop") (NYSE: SMA), an internally managed real estate investment trust and a premier owner and operator of self-storage facilities in the United States and Canada, announced that Chief Operations Officer Joe Robinson and Director of Revenue Rene Hernandez presented at the Ai4 2025 conference on August 12 in Las Vegas. Ai4 is the largest artificial intelligence event in North America, drawing thousands of executives, technologists, and innovators from leading organizations across industries, including financial services, retail, health care, and manufacturing. Robinson and Hernandez were the exclusive speakers representing the self-storage sector, underscoring SmartStop's leadership in technology innovation and its commitment to transforming operations through artificial intelligence. Robinson and Hernandez's presentation spotlighted SmartStop's proprietary AI pricing agents, which drive millions of automated pricing changes per month. Built in-house using SmartStop's robust data warehouse and data science capabilities, the system enables dynamic, real-time adjustments that support profitable decision making, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience. "AI is a key part of our operating platform and a critical component of our broader innovation strategy," said H. Michael Schwartz, SmartStop Chairman and CEO. "Our AI-powered pricing system allows us to respond faster to market conditions and customer behavior while delivering meaningful performance improvements across the portfolio." SmartStop's appearance at Ai4 reflects its ongoing investment in technology alongside long-term partner Kaizen Analytix, helping it maintain a competitive edge in the evolving self-storage landscape. About SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SmartStop): SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. ("SmartStop") (NYSE: SMA) is a self-managed REIT with a fully integrated operations team of more than 600 self-storage professionals focused on growing the SmartStop® Self Storage brand. SmartStop, through its indirect subsidiary SmartStop REIT Advisors, LLC, also sponsors other self-storage programs. As of August 14, 2025, SmartStop has an owned or managed portfolio of 230 operating properties in 23 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, comprising approximately 167,200 units and 18.7 million rentable square feet. SmartStop and its affiliates own or manage 44 operating self-storage properties in Canada, which total approximately 39,000 units and 3.9 million rentable square feet. This story was originally published
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
India Set to Add 2.3 Million AI Jobs by 2027, Redefining Global Talent Flows
VMPL Las Vegas (Nevada) [US], August 14: At Ai4 2025, North America's largest artificial intelligence (AI) industry event, Sanjay Puri, Founder of RegulatingAI and Chairman of Knowledge Networks Group, delivered a rallying call for inclusive global AI talent development. In his solo keynote, "Democratizing AI Talent: Bridging Policy, Innovation, and Equity," Puri outlined how India's rapid AI transformation, powered by a INR 10,300 crore IndiaAI Mission, 18,693 GPUs, and a 16% share of the global AI talent pool, is positioning the nation to lead Global South in supplying nearly half the world's STEM graduates by 2030, redefining the Global South from "talent consumer" to "talent exporter." AI talent pipelines today remain concentrated in the Global North, shaped by systems that favour English-speaking, resource-rich contexts. However, that landscape is beginning to shift. India has already overtaken the United States as the largest user base for ChatGPT, accounting for 13.5% of global monthly active users in June. It also ranks as the world's third-largest user of DeepSeek, signalling a surge in digital literacy and appetite for AI tools across the Global South. At the recent launch of OpenAI's latest model, GPT-5, CEO Sam Altman underscored this shift, noting that India is now the company's second-largest market after the United States, and could soon take the top spot. In his solo talk at the AI summit, Sanjay Puri said, "By 2030, India and the Global South will not just consume AI talent, but export it at scale. This can only be achieving with the democratization of AI talent and dismantling the invisible walls of the industry, building South-North skill corridors, and closing the rural-urban gap at home. Mutual recognition of credentials and open policy sandboxes can empower coders from localized AI skilling hubs in Tier 2 and 3 Indian cities to launch world-class models on equal footing with Silicon Valley." His keynote came at a moment of global concern over the risks of technological exclusion and the centralization of AI power. While private companies dominate AI development in the West, Sanjay emphasized India's alternative model centres on policy, public sector innovation, and community-scale application. Government-backed initiatives such as the India AI Mission, Anuvadini, AI Kosh, and Bhashini are building a comprehensive ecosystem to foster AI innovation, strengthening regional language capabilities, collecting inclusive datasets, and collaborating with startups to build India-specific AI solutions. "India's AI story isn't about catching up. It is about setting the pace for the world. From frugal-AI health diagnostics that bring life-saving care to remote villages, to AI tutors reaching 300 million students, we are proving that equitable talent pipelines unlock innovations the Global North would not dream of," he added. Sanjay Puri sees India's approach as a model for nations throughout Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, where AI must grow alongside education, digital access, and local participation. It is not about adapting to existing AI trends, but actively shaping them to serve developmental priorities such as healthcare access, quality education, rural connectivity, and financial inclusion. About Sanjay Puri Sanjay Puri is a globally recognised speaker on AI policy and regulation, Founder of Knowledge Networks Group, and host of the CAIO and Regulating AI podcasts, where he drives conversations on AI's societal impact, ethics, and innovation. An advocate for the creation of a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role in the C-suite, he advises organizations on using AI responsibly for sustainable growth. Sanjay specializes in thought-provoking discussions on: AI Policy & Regulations: Advancing frameworks to guide ethical AI adoption worldwide, AI Leadership & Strategy: Advocating the CAIO role to unlock AI's full potential in businesses, Driving Ethical AI in the Global South: Addressing challenges and opportunities in underrepresented regions. About Ai4 2025 Established in 2018, Ai4 has grown into the epicenter of the global AI ecosystem and the industry's premier annual gathering. The conference showcases cutting-edge applications, from AI agents to generative AI, alongside the best practices shaping the future of artificial intelligence. With dedicated content tracks and unparalleled networking, Ai4 connects leaders from every sector of the AI landscape to advance responsible human-machine collaboration. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. Highlights AI Strategy at Ai4 2025, North America's Leading Artificial Intelligence Conference
BUSINESS WIRE)--SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. ('SmartStop') (NYSE: SMA), an internally managed real estate investment trust and a premier owner and operator of self-storage facilities in the United States and Canada, announced that Chief Operations Officer Joe Robinson and Director of Revenue Rene Hernandez presented at the Ai4 2025 conference on August 12 in Las Vegas. Ai4 is the largest artificial intelligence event in North America, drawing thousands of executives, technologists, and innovators from leading organizations across industries, including financial services, retail, health care, and manufacturing. Robinson and Hernandez were the exclusive speakers representing the self-storage sector, underscoring SmartStop's leadership in technology innovation and its commitment to transforming operations through artificial intelligence. Robinson and Hernandez's presentation spotlighted SmartStop's proprietary AI pricing agents, which drive millions of automated pricing changes per month. Built in-house using SmartStop's robust data warehouse and data science capabilities, the system enables dynamic, real-time adjustments that support profitable decision making, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer experience. 'AI is a key part of our operating platform and a critical component of our broader innovation strategy,' said H. Michael Schwartz, SmartStop Chairman and CEO. 'Our AI-powered pricing system allows us to respond faster to market conditions and customer behavior while delivering meaningful performance improvements across the portfolio.' SmartStop's appearance at Ai4 reflects its ongoing investment in technology alongside long-term partner Kaizen Analytix, helping it maintain a competitive edge in the evolving self-storage landscape. About SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SmartStop): SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. ('SmartStop') (NYSE: SMA) is a self-managed REIT with a fully integrated operations team of more than 600 self-storage professionals focused on growing the SmartStop® Self Storage brand. SmartStop, through its indirect subsidiary SmartStop REIT Advisors, LLC, also sponsors other self-storage programs. As of August 14, 2025, SmartStop has an owned or managed portfolio of 230 operating properties in 23 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, comprising approximately 167,200 units and 18.7 million rentable square feet. SmartStop and its affiliates own or manage 44 operating self-storage properties in Canada, which total approximately 39,000 units and 3.9 million rentable square feet.
Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
TxMinds Debuts at Ai4 to Disrupt the Enterprise AI Landscape
Ushering in a New Era of Agentic AI, Digital Engineering, and AI-Led Enterprise Transformation LAS VEGAS, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — TestingXperts, a global leader in Quality Assurance, Quality Engineering, and Digital Solutions, has announced the successful launch of TxMinds ( its specialist AI and Digital Engineering division, at Ai4 2025, North America's premier AI event held from August 11–13 in Las Vegas. As a Silver Sponsor at Ai4, TxMinds showcased its cutting-edge AI-driven platforms, multi-agent orchestration solutions, industry-specific innovations, and strategic AI advisory services designed to help enterprises bridge the gap between current capabilities and AI-driven transformation. 'TxMinds is our high-impact innovation engine,' said Manish Gupta, CEO of TxMinds. 'It brings together advanced AI capabilities, deep engineering expertise, and industry specialization to help clients transform faster, smarter, and with measurable outcomes.' Specialized Enterprise Impact TxMinds combines advanced AI with end-to-end Digital and Application Engineering to deliver transformative solutions across industries. AI Advisory Services guide enterprises through the AI adoption journey from readiness assessment and roadmap design to rapid prototyping and enterprise-scale deployment. Strategic partnerships with leading Agentic AI platforms enable delivery of advanced, industry-ready capabilities that accelerate adoption and drive measurable impact. A dedicated Insurance technology practice helps insurers modernize operations, enhance customer experience, and drive innovation across the value chain. Innovation Highlights from Ai4 2025 During the three-day event, TxMinds unveiled live demonstrations of its latest AI-driven platforms and Agentic AI multi-agent orchestration solutions. Solutions showcased include: EmotIQ: A sentiment analysis agent that unifies reviews from multiple platforms, extracts sentiment trends, and generates prioritized user stories. A11Y: An accessibility agent that runs accessibility audits, flags compliance gaps, and delivers actionable design fixes. Multi-agent orchestration that enables real-time decision-making across functions and accelerates intelligent workforce transformation 'We're moving at a pace where we're not just keeping up with AI innovation, we're setting the pace for the industry,' said Joe Underwood, COO at TxMinds. About TxMinds TxMinds, the specialist AI and Digital Engineering division of TestingXperts, delivers enterprise-scale innovation through intelligent platforms, Agentic AI orchestration, industry-focused solutions, and strategic AI advisory services. With expertise spanning various industries, including insurance, healthcare, retail, and financial services, TxMinds partners with global enterprises to achieve measurable business transformation. Media Contact: Ajay DavessarChief Marketing OfficerEmail: Phone: +1 866 888 535Website: Photo:
