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Halfway Updates from ASU+GSV
Did you hear about AI? Also overflow crowds and the end of an OPM lawsuit
Phil Hill
April 08, 2025
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We’re halfway through the ASU+GSV conference (and after the AI Show), and I’d like to share a few quick updates.
Gen AI More Prevalent Than Federal Policy
The ASU+GSV is larger than ever, but I have to admit that they are making improvements. More tables and meeting areas, more receptions, leading to a better ability to make impromptu discussions. Yes, even at the hotel bar while watching Florida’s comeback win.
This is amusing from my quick check with ChatGPT search to make sure my terminology is appropriate.
Q. does prevalence just apply to people and populations, or can it apply to frequency of topics at a conference?
A. While "prevalence" is primarily used in epidemiology to describe the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or condition at a given time, the term can be applied more broadly to indicate how widespread a particular characteristic or phenomenon is within a group. Therefore, it's reasonable to use "prevalence" to describe the frequency of topics at a conference. For example, one might analyze the prevalence of discussions on artificial intelligence across various sessions, indicating how commonly this subject appears in the conference agenda.
You nailed it, ChatGPT, I was thinking about AI. It’s everywhere, even though the vendors booths at the AI Show had a notable lack of creativity. It seemed that a third of the booths were thin wrappers around chat bots - you know, tutors, teaching assistants, etc. A third were potentially interesting ideas but it was not clear that gen AI was really the enabling technology. And another third were just EdTech with an AI feature or two. Some of these booths have valuable products, and it is good to see this space develop, but so far the EdTech space is not seeing many transformative ideas. As Courtney Hills McBeth (provost at WGU) said in our panel yesterday, there is too much usage of AI to polish the same rock we already have. We need more creative thinking.
