After the curtains closed on PCMA Convening Leaders (CL) 2024 in San Diego, we found ourselves reflecting on the event and how it informed us about many industry trends, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence. The rise of AI can’t be ignored. Here’s a recap of key takeaways, event implications and expert insights from the convention.
The Human Touch and AI
As AI becomes more sophisticated, its intelligence is growing. ChatGPT, for instance, currently has an IQ of 155. While it is indeed getting smarter, human connection remains paramount. During CL 2024, speaker Mo Gawdat emphasized that AI may excel in different areas, but it will be years before it is able to match the soft skills needed for human connections. Focusing on these unparalleled skills remains vital for long-term business success.
Adapting to AI in Events
AI has shifted how professionals plan meetings and events for the better. From connecting attendees with the perfect destinations to helping coordinate large gatherings, the technology can be used to make the planning process easier. And with the announcement of Mo Gawdat’s new AI tool (releasing March 2024), planners will soon have another resource of knowledge that has the potential to answer complex questions to make event execution smoother.
AI in Creativity and Design
Besides growing in intelligence, AI is surpassing traditional human benchmarks for creating art. This is made evident by Boris Eldagsen’s award-winning AI-generated photo, which challenges our understanding of programming. The new language of programming is human, which indicates a shift toward harnessing AI for creative pursuits. In the context of design, AI tools, like ChatGPT, can now be used to create mockups and comps, thereby streamlining the creative process.
AI Panel Insights
The AI panel led a great discussion on the technology’s algorithm. Basically, AI tools simply predict which word is likely to come next when a prompt is given. Different prompts were shared with attendees to showcase this as well as to give us useful ways to utilize the tools, including:
- “Simplify technical jargon in this email”
- “Rephrase this sentence”
- “Shorten this to 200 words”
- “Rewrite in the present tense”
Another great way to use AI is to make content and strategy decisions. This can be done by asking specific questions related to what is being created.
PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 drove home the point that AI is playing a significant role in the meetings and events industry. Now, it is the time to embrace this ever-evolving technology.
