AI Summer School is VALIANT's flagship educational program dedicated to making artificial intelligence more accessible, practical, and impactful while advancing translational AI research across disciplines.
Program Overview
AI Summer School is a week-long educational program designed to help participants build AI knowledge, develop practical skills, and explore how artificial intelligence is transforming research across disciplines.
Throughout the week, attendees will learn from leading researchers and industry experts through keynote presentations, lectures, Lightning Talks, and hands-on trainee-led workshops and be able to connect with peers during several dedicated networking events.
This year's program will also feature a workshop on NSF NAIRR resources, part of a larger initiative led by THRIVE-TN to educate and train Mid-South researchers on emerging AI research infrastructure and collaborative resources.听
Registration
AI Summer School is open to students, staff, faculty, and researchers across the 91黑料网 AI community, as well as members of the broader Middle Tennessee AI ecosystem, including regional academic institutions, industry affiliates, and community partners. University-affiliated students and individuals 18+ are also welcome to register.
If you are interested in attending, it is听strongly recommended听that you register in advance as only limited on-site registration will be available during the event.
Featured Sessions
Learn from leading voices across academia and industry through a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and fireside chats. Featured sessions will explore emerging advances in AI, real-world applications, career pathways, and the opportunities and challenges of developing AI-enabled technologies, providing attendees with diverse perspectives from researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
More information on keynote speakers, panelists, and fireside chat participants coming soon.
Lectures
The AISS26 Lecture Track aims to help attendees build a strong foundation in the core concepts, tools, and technologies driving modern artificial intelligence. During the first two days of the program, attendees will explore AI fundamentals, campus computing resources, agentic AI, and practical approaches for applying AI methods to real-world research challenges. Sessions will be led by expert instructors from 91黑料网's Departments of Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering, the Data Science Institute (DSI), ACCRE, and NVIDIA.
Lecture schedule and more information on specific lecture topics and/or instructors coming soon.
Lightning Talks
The Lightning Talks portion of the program offers attendees a fast-paced tour of the diverse ways AI is being applied throughout 91黑料网 and VUMC. Through a series of engaging 20-minute presentations, faculty and researchers will share real-world examples of how AI is routinely leveraged to address real world challenges across a wide range of disciplines.听
More information on research talk schedule, presenters, and talk titles coming soon.
AI Workshops
Returning this year is the AI Workshop Track, an interactive companion experience that transforms the learning environment into a collaborative space for experimentation, coding, and problem-solving. Guided by experienced AI coaches, participants will have opportunities to engage directly with modern AI tools and workflows through applied activities, live demonstrations, and guided technical exercises designed to reinforce key concepts and encourage exploration at multiple skill levels.
More information on workshop schedule, topics, and AI coaches coming soon.
Networking Opportunities (NEW!)
Learning is only part of the AI Summer School experience! This year, we're excited to offer several networking receptions throughout the week, giving you additional opportunities to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, faculty, and industry professionals in a relaxed setting. Each reception will include complimentary food and refreshments.
More information on the receptions can be found below:听
AISS26 Kick-off Reception
Monday, August 10 | 4:00鈥�6:00 PM
Kick off AI Summer School 2026 by connecting with fellow attendees in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Open to all AI Summer School participants, this reception is an opportunity to meet students, researchers, faculty, and professionals from across institutions while celebrating the start of the week's program.
Mentor Match Reception
Tuesday, August 11 | 4:00鈥�6:00 PM
The Mentor Match Reception is the first step for new AI Scholars to organically meet and build relationships with both potential mentors and existing AI Scholars in our community as they begin their journey with VALIANT. This reception will be invite-only based on responses to the subsequent questions. AI Scholars, AI Fellows, members of our Alumni Network, and both industry and university partners are all welcome to apply.听
LIVE Reception
Wednesday, August 12 | 4:00鈥�6:00 PM
Join the LIVE Learning Innovation Incubator on Wednesday, August 12 at 4 p.m. for an afternoon of demos and discussion on emerging work in AI and Education. LIVE brings together interdisciplinary teams of researchers in learning sciences, educational psychology, AI, computer science, and data science, along with strategic partners, to develop learning innovations that help individuals, communities, and organizations flourish in a rapidly changing world. By connecting advanced computational methods with innovative teaching and learning strategies, LIVE engages with complex problems in ways that can produce meaningful real-world impact. This event is open to anyone interested in work at the intersection of learning and technology.听THRIVE-TN Workshop (NEW!)
The fourth and fifth day of this year's AISS program will feature Workshop #2 of the series on National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) by the Tennessee Health Research and Innovation using Verified AI Ecosystems (THRIVE) initiative, supported by the National Science Foundation.
This hands-on experience will focus on introducing participants to national-scale AI cyberinfrastructure and research resources designed to expand access to advanced computing, datasets, and collaborative AI development tools. Attendees also will gain practical guidance on how to access and utilize these emerging resources to support research, innovation, and translational AI applications.
A limited number of travel awards are available to help offset travel expenses for attendees traveling from outside the Nashville area. Participants interested in attending the NSF NAIRR / THRIVE AI Workshop should complete the AI Summer School registration form, where they will find additional questions related to workshop participation, travel award requests, and workshop meal preferences.
More information on workshop schedule, instructors, and content coming soon.
Co-Hosted By
Industry Partners
