breakout

Dr. Adam Russell

Director of the AI Division, USC’s Information Systems Institute

Dr. Adam Russell is the Director of the AI Division at USC’s Information Systems Institute, leading cutting-edge research in Artificial Intelligence with a focus on AI Safety, Trustworthiness, and its societal impacts. He is particularly interested in how AI will transform the "Human Domain." From February 2024 to January 2025, Adam was on loan to the Government as the Chief Vision Officer for the US AI Safety Institute (USAISI) at NIST and the Department of Commerce, where he was responsible for helping to stand up the Institute, define and promote its vision and strategy, and recruit talent for USAISI’s mission.Before joining USC, Adam served as Chief Scientist at the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) and held an adjunct faculty role in UMD’s Department of Psychology.Adam’s career spans national security and human performance research. As a Program Manager at IARPA (2009–2015) and DARPA (2015–2020), he directed ambitious R&D programs emphasizing scientific discovery, innovation, and reproducibility in understanding human behavior and social variability. He also helped lead the stand-up of ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health), the U.S. Government’s newest advanced research agency, in 2022.Adam holds a D.Phil. in social anthropology from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. A former international rugby player, he competed for Oxford University and the U.S. Men’s National Team, later serving as High-Performance Director for the U.S. Women’s National Rugby Team during their 2014 and 2017 World Cup campaigns. Adam’s unique blend of academic rigor, leadership, and teamwork shapes his insights into innovation, human dynamics, and collaboration in high-stakes environments.

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Sessions

Breakout session

Tue, May 13, 11:10 am - 12:00 pm MT

HR’s Critical Role in GenAI Transformation – And the Changes Needed to Succeed

BUILD UP FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

Too many companies are seeing GenAI as a technical transformation which is leading to continuous failure around adoption. Successful AI transformations require continuous feedback from the business that includes engagement with risk and legal as well as user/employee input. HR is the only business function that has all the necessary connections to effectively facilitate the GenAI transformation.

AI success hinges more on people than technology. While AI offers powerful capabilities, true adoption depends on understanding human behavior and business needs. This new era of technology will require a continuous innovation mindset and a more agile culture. Again, these types of initiatives are better led by HR.

Join Innovative Thought’s President, Peter Steinberg and Strategic Advisor, Adam Russell, as they explore HR’s unique position in driving GenAI adoption. They’ll reveal how HR can evolve to become a leader in the GenAI transformation, “Hack the Change Curve” and fuel real innovation by leveraging its human-centric strengths.

This session is sponsored by Innovative Thought.

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AI & People Analytics | Change Management & Future of Work | Performance & Productivity | ROI & Business Impact | Workplace Culture & Innovation

Pete Steinberg

Adam Russell

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