AI Rising conference returns to Columbus Oct. 19-20 with practical AI focus

AI Rising’s third annual conference returns to The Ohio Union in Columbus on Oct. 19-20, bringing together business and technology leaders from companies including AWS, Walmart, Nationwide and Safelite. The event will spotlight how organizations are moving from AI experimentation to real-world operations, with workshops, sessions and leadership discussions on implementation, automation and responsible scaling.

Why it matters: - Business leaders are shifting from AI pilots to day-to-day use across core operations. - The Columbus conference is built around that transition, with a focus on practical deployment, workforce impact and responsible scaling. - The event puts executives and practitioners in the same room to compare what is working in real organizations.

What happened: - AI Rising’s third annual conference takes place Oct. 19-20 at The Ohio Union in Columbus. - The event theme is “AI Gets Real.” - The two-day program brings together business leaders, technology professionals and AI practitioners. - Oct. 19 is set aside for hands-on workshops. - Oct. 20 features the full conference, including sessions, opening and closing keynotes and networking.

The details: - Speakers include leaders from AWS, Walmart, Nationwide, Safelite, White Castle, Westfield Insurance, Humana and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. - Sessions will cover AI agents, business automation, enterprise implementation, healthcare applications, workforce impacts, human oversight and responsible scaling. - Ryan Frederick of Transform Labs will deliver the opening keynote on the next five years of operational AI. - Kritika Sharma of Walmart will discuss how large organizations build and scale AI solutions. - Archanna Manoharan of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will present on AI applications that support unemployed Ohioans. - The closing leadership discussion will feature Melanie Kolp of Nationwide, Susan Carroll-Boser of White Castle and Nada Aried of Safelite. - The workshop program on Oct. 19 will cover AI agents, context engineering, infrastructure automation and human-centered workflows. - AI Rising 2026 is at The Ohio Union in Columbus, Ohio. - Full agenda and registration are available here.

Between the lines: - The speaker lineup points to a broader business shift: AI is moving from strategy talks to operational decisions inside large companies and public agencies. - The mix of employers suggests the pressure is no longer limited to tech firms. Retail, insurance, healthcare and government groups are all working through implementation. - The conference theme signals growing demand for practical guidance, not just AI hype.

What's next: - Attendees will get hands-on instruction on Oct. 19 and case-study sessions on Oct. 20. - The conference is expected to surface real-world lessons on what it takes to deploy AI at scale. - Organizers are positioning the event as a forum for responsible AI adoption as more organizations move into implementation.