Responsible Innovation in the Age of AI
Distinguished AI Speaker Series
September 25, 2025 at 7:00 P.M.
Ostrove Auditorium
Responsible Innovation in the Age of AI: Building What Lasts for a World That Moves Fast
How do we innovate at the speed the world demands while ensuring that what we build is safe, reliable, fair, and trusted? In this talk, Kathryn Guarini — board director, educator, and former IBM CIO — explores how technology leaders, educators, and innovators can move fast and build what lasts. Drawing on lessons from her career at the forefront of digital transformation and from teaching future innovators at Yale, Cornell, and Stanford, she shares a practical framework for designing innovations that endure.
Through vivid examples — from emerging AI applications to global crises and everyday technologies — Kathryn will show why trust has become the ultimate differentiator and how individuals across disciplines can help shape innovation responsibly. Students, faculty, and community members will leave with a deeper understanding of how to think critically about the technologies we adopt, weigh their societal impacts, and play an active role in creating innovations that inspire confidence and sustain trust.
Kathryn Guarini is a seasoned technology and business leader with over 25 years of experience spanning research, product development, product management, strategy, operations, and IT. As IBM’s global Chief Information Officer (CIO), she led the company’s digital transformation and championed the adoption of hybrid cloud and AI. Previously, she served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IBM Research, launched the IBM Impact Science initiative to tackle global challenges, and spearheaded groundbreaking innovations in semiconductor technology.
A passionate advocate for transformation and inspiring the next generation of innovators, Kathryn serves on the Board of Directors at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and the Board of Trustees at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). She teaches at Yale University, Cornell Tech, and Stanford Continuing Studies, and she shares her expertise through speaking engagements, writing, and consulting. Kathryn is also the founder of Inspiring Innovation LLC, which helps companies navigate disruption, embrace emerging technologies, and lead with purpose. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and a B.S. from Yale, is an inventor on over 65 patents, and has been honored with numerous industry awards for her contributions to technology and innovation.
Special thanks to our co-sponsors: