Date: Thursday, January 22
AI Day in the Capital will bring together leaders in government, law, technology, and academia to examine the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its implications for public institutions, civic infrastructure, and ethical governance. The event will explore how AI can be responsibly integrated into state systems, enhance public services, expand access to justice, and support informed policy development across Florida and beyond.
Throughout the day, attendees will engage in keynote conversations, expert panels, interactive demonstrations, and collaborative discussions focused on the future of AI deployment, innovation, and collective intelligence.
Available CLE Credits.
Thank you to our sponsor, Amazon.
Schedule
9:00 AM - Continental Breakfast
- FSU College of Law, First-Floor Atrium
9:45 AM - Welcome - FSU Law Dean Erin O'Hara O'Connor
- FSU College of Law, Auditorium (Classroom 101)
9:55 AM - Framing of the Day, Saif Ishoof, Founder of Lab22c
10:00 AM - Breakfast Keynote: “AI and the Future of Intelligence”
A fireside-style conversation on the evolution of generative AI, responsible deployment at scale, and how governments can harness these tools to drive efficiency, inclusion, and trust.
Sponsored by Amazon
10:45 AM - Symposium: “AI and the Public Good”
How AI is reshaping public services, education, and justice.
Featuring:
- Ruben Harris, CEO of OutRival AI
- Jonathan Fozard, Associate Vice President & Chief Information Officer of FSU
- Dr. David Seo, Senior Vice President & Chief Digital and Information Officer at Nicklaus Children's Health System
11:45 AM - Interactive Breakout Sessions and Demos
- Lunch available in the FSU College of Law, D’Alemberte Rotunda
A. Vibe Coding Hands-on Session led by Yaacov Petscher, Associate Dean of Research at the FSU College of Social Work and Director of the Quantitative Methodology and Innovation Division at the Florida Center for Reading Research.
B. Interactive session on AI tools for research development and grant writing led by Dr. Wajeeha Hazoor Bajwa, Assistant in Research and Senior Editor at Anne’s College of Education, Health and Human Sciences.
C. Live Interactive Demonstrations by Freeman Jackson, MyFlorida.AI, a Teachable Machine hosted by the FSU InSPIRE Team, AI-enabled Prototypes from FSU Health and FSU AACcess Lab
D. Additional presentations on projects that are currently utilizing AI to enhance K-12 teacher training, medical clinical trials, platform content moderation, and more!
1:15 PM - Keynote: “Collective Intelligence vs. AGI”
- FSU College of Law, Auditorium (Classroom 103)
Speaker: Rony Abovitz, CEO and Founder of SynthBee
A visionary keynote exploring Collective Intelligence — human + machine collaboration that amplifies creativity, decision-making, and civic capacity — contrasted with the risks and limitations of Artificial General Intelligence.
*Will also be streamed for CLE credit around FL*
2:00 PM - Respondents Panel & Closing Conversation
- FSU College of Law, Auditorium (Classroom 103)
Moderated by Caryn Lavernia, Vice President and Senior Partner at Lab22c
Panelists:
- Rich Harper, Partner-in-Charge at Baker Botts (New York)
- Ben Odom, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at NASCAR
- Ronak Ray, Co-Founder of modInsight and modCounsel
- Lauren Scholz, McConnaughhay and Rissman Professor at FSU College of Law
Reflections on the keynote, policy implications, and pathways for statewide AI collaboration.
Featured Speakers
Rony Abovitz, CEO and Founder of SynthBee
Rony Abovitz is the CEO and Founder of SynthBee. Abovitz has a background in surgical robotics, health care, spatial computing/extended reality (XR), AI, and advanced technologies, and a strong history of building successful and forward-looking businesses from the ground up.
Jonathan Fozard, Associate Vice President & Chief Information Officer of FSU
Jonathan Fozard serves as Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Florida State University. Jonathan leads the FSU teams responsible for advancing technology and innovation across academics, research, athletics, advancement, medical, communications, engagement, security, and administrative areas. He also oversees the Northwest Regional Data Center, Florida Virtual Campus, and Florida’s State Data Center. Recently confirmed by the Florida Senate, he also serves on the Governor’s Technology Modernization Council, championing technology and artificial intelligence advancements across the state.
Rich Harper, Partner-in-Charge at Baker Botts New York
Rich Harper advises and litigates on behalf of some of the world's most sophisticated technology, media, and entertainment companies. He leads litigation teams in business tort and breach of contract disputes, ranging from trade secret litigation to business defamation claims for clients such as PepsiCo and Formula 1 Racing. Within the business tort field, Harper has built a leading national practice in fiduciary duty and securities litigation, having represented the company and/or directors of Liberty Media, NASCAR, Starz, and Charter Communications.
Ruben Harris, CEO of OutRival AI
Ruben Harris is the Co-Founder and CEO of OutRival, an AI platform transforming Customer Experience with Conversational AI, starting with Admissions Teams in Higher Education. OutRival empowers customer experience teams to innovate with AI, enabling them to create and deploy AI solutions that fuel growth, enhance customer experiences, and reimagine business potential.
Saif Ishoof, Founder at Lab22c
Saif is the Founder and Managing Partner of Lab22c, one of Miami’s fastest-growing consulting agencies for entrepreneurs, businesses, organizations, tech, and Web 3.0. Ishoof has been recognized with several prestigious distinctions, including: a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a German Marshall Fund scholar, an MCCJ Silver Medallion winner, and an Inaugural Presidential Innovation Fellow at Miami Dade College.
Caryn Lavernia, Vice President and Senior Partner at Lab22c
Caryn Lavernia serves as Vice President and Senior Partner at Lab22c where she supports partners in scaling teams, enhancing culture, and building meaningful partnerships.
Ben Odom, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at NASCAR
Ben Odom ('04) is the Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at NASCAR. Odom brings experience from previous roles at International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Ben Odom is a double Seminole and former graduate assistant for the university’s football program. He now teaches at FSU and serves on several boards at FSU Law.
Yaacov Petscher, Associate Dean of Research at the FSU College of Social Work
Dr. Yaacov Petscher is a Professor of Social Work at Florida State University, an Associate Director of the Florida Center for Reading Research, and the Director the Quantitative Methodology and Innovation Division at FCRR. Petscher's work is focused on measurement, causal modeling, the study of individual differences in reading using complex methodologies, and the development of screening assessments and computer adaptive tests.
Ronak Ray, Co-Founder of modInsight and modCounsel
Ronak Ray is a veteran of professional services and technology companies with more than a decade in supporting each of these industries on scaling for pre-IPO success. Ray started his career in advisory roles across finance, risk management and legal.
Lauren Scholz, McConnaughhay and Rissman Professor of Law
Professor Lauren Scholz’s work focuses on the intersection of technology, contract law, and privacy. Her work has been published in many influential law reviews, including William & Mary Law Review, Iowa Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, Cardozo Law Review, and University of Chicago Law Review Online.
Dr. David Seo, Senior Vice President & Chief Digital and Information Officer at Nicklaus Children's Health System
Dr. David Seo is an IT executive, board-certified cardiologist and former NIH-funded researcher with over 12 years of experience in leading digital and information strategies for healthcare organizations. As the Chief Digital and Information Officer at Nicklaus Children's Health System, Dr. Seo oversees the vision and design of technology and informatics systems for the only free-standing pediatric hospital in South Florida with over 25 satellite locations, comprising outpatient clinics, ambulatory surgery, and urgent care centers.