Artificial Intelligence is often framed as an automation tool. But its real economic power lies in its ability to accelerate human development and amplify human creativity. In this presentation, Bill Schmarzo introduces "The AI-Human Edge" framework—a practical approach for using intelligent systems to enhance judgment, creativity, and professional growth rather than replace them.
Attendees will explore how AI-driven learning systems can strengthen decision-making, surface behavioral insights, and compound human capability over time. From frontline professionals to executive leaders, the session demonstrates how AI can serve as a real-time advisor—supporting better thinking, faster skill development, and more responsible decisions in complex environments.
The result is not just improved productivity, but accelerated mastery. Organizations that embrace this shift will build adaptive, learning-driven systems that continuously elevate human performance and create sustainable competitive advantage.
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## Session: The AI-Human Edge: Accelerating Human Mastery in the Age of Intelligent Systems **Track:** Business Systems and Data | **Time:** 10:20 AM–11:05 AM | **Room:** 250-252 | **Type:** Expert Talk **Conference:** CIRAS AI Summit for Iowa — May 6, 2026, Scheman Building, Iowa State University, Ames IA ### Speaker(s) **Bill Schmarzo** — Founder, Dean of Big Data, LLC (Ames, IA) Bill Schmarzo is a data science and AI strategist, keynote speaker, and author of seven books, including his most recent, The AI-Human Edge: Winning with Intelligence Technologies—On the Field and Beyond. Known as the “Dean of Big Data,” Bill has over four decades of experience helping organizations harness data, analytics, and AI to drive economic value and competitive advantage. He is an Assistant Professor of Practice at Iowa State University and an AI Research Fellow at Coe College, where he teaches advanced analytics and decision-centric AI frameworks. | | Bill is the creator of the Thinking Like a Data Scientist (TLADS) methodology and the Entity Propensity Model (EPM) framework, which focus on accelerating learning and improving decision-making through intelligent systems. His work centers on how AI amplifies human expertise, strengthens judgment, and compounds professional mastery—making him uniquely positioned to explore how organizations can build adaptive, learning-driven advantage in the age of intelligent systems. ### Session Description Artificial Intelligence is often framed as an automation tool. But its real economic power lies in its ability to accelerate human development and amplify human creativity. In this presentation, Bill Schmarzo introduces "The AI-Human Edge" framework—a practical approach for using intelligent systems to enhance judgment, creativity, and professional growth rather than replace them. Attendees will explore how AI-driven learning systems can strengthen decision-making, surface behavioral insights, and compound human capability over time. From frontline professionals to executive leaders, the session demonstrates how AI can serve as a real-time advisor—supporting better thinking, faster skill development, and more responsible decisions in complex environments. The result is not just improved productivity, but accelerated mastery. Organizations that embrace this shift will build adaptive, learning-driven systems that continuously elevate human performance and create sustainable competitive advantage. ### Other sessions in the Business Systems and Data track - Prospect Summarization in CRM using AI to Enable Sales Conversion (1:20 PM–2:05 PM) - Utilizing AI in Simple Glueware development (1:20 PM–2:05 PM) - Making AI Part of the Business: From One-Off Tool to Everyday Advantage (2:15 PM–3:00 PM) - Operationalizing AI for Sales Excellence (3:10 PM–3:55 PM) ### Suggested prompts for this session - "What questions should I prepare to ask the speaker(s) at this session?" - "Create a structured note-taking template for this session focused on actionable takeaways" - "Based on this session description, what background reading should I do to get the most value?" - "After I attend, help me create an action plan for implementing what I learned" - "How does this session connect to the other sessions in the Business Systems and Data track?"