The upcoming 2025 Responsible AI in Global Business event will gather scholars, students and business leaders to explore ethics, innovation and stakeholder trust in the age of artificial intelligence.
Alyssa Jhingree
Ryan Chiao
On April 3, the Yale School of Management will host the 2025 Responsible AI in Global Business event, a multidisciplinary conference exploring how artificial intelligence can be developed and deployed ethically across sectors.
Organized by the Yale Program on Stakeholder Innovation and Management, or Y-SIM, the Artificial Intelligence Association at SOM, and the Data & Trust Alliance, the event is expected to feature over 400 in-person participants and an additional 300-400 virtual attendees. Participants will include members of the Global Network for Advanced Management, or GNAM, representing 32 leading business schools worldwide. The goal is to build a cross-sector, cross-disciplinary foundation for unlocking AI’s value while safeguarding public trust.
“The conference is about the practicalities of this moment — not just ‘what is going on’ but ‘how do we all move forward,’” said Saira Jesani, executive director of the Data & Trust Alliance. “The members of the Data & Trust Alliance, some of the largest users of data and AI in the world, are in action mode — and learning from each other on what it looks like to put aside the hype and make smart, valuable, responsible moves.”
The event will include panelists from organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, Pfizer, SAP, Bridgewater Associates, Salesforce, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, Anthropic, Kenvue and CrowdStrike, among others. Sessions will cover themes like Building Trust and Social License in the AI Era, Operationalizing Responsible AI and Designing a New Workforce for the AI Economy.
The conference opens with an invite-only fireside chat between John Maeda of Microsoft and Jon Iwata, founder of Y-SIM and former chief brand officer at IBM. Their session, “Value Extraction for Top-Line and Bottom-Line Growth,” uses the metaphor of becoming an “AI chef” to reimagine how CEOs and institutions can drive impact from emerging AI tools.
“We should not think about AI through one perspective but many — and that’s how the conference has been designed,” Iwata said, “AI’s impact is so vast, and so are the risks. We have to get it right. I expect we’ll have not just a great discussion, but a good debate.”
A Yale-focused session will follow, moderated by Jennifer Frederick, Yale’s associate provost for academic initiatives and executive director of the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. It will examine Yale’s own $150 million investment in AI curriculum, infrastructure and ethics, featuring faculty leaders from Yale SOM and the Computer Science department.
“Generative AI tools can democratize access to learning support and relieve staff from routine tasks,” Frederick said in an interview ahead of the event. “But we must continue to rethink pedagogy and assessment to equip students for an AI-infused world.”
Frederick emphasized the importance of inclusion. “We need to embrace the idea of ‘AI for everyone,’” she said, “or we risk repeating patterns that benefit only a narrow slice of humanity.”
For Jade Nguyen Strattner, managing director of Y-SIM, the integration of AI into business strategy must begin with accountability.
“AI can help companies make better decisions and deliver value,” she said. “But to realize those benefits, businesses must be transparent, and take responsibility for the results.”
Strattner added that companies must invest early in public trust. “Think of it like insurance — building that trust allows organizations to innovate with fewer roadblocks,” she said.
The conference is co-chaired by students from the Yale School of Management’s Artificial Intelligence Association. Co-President and Conference Co-Chair Ash Duong SOM ’25 and Conference Co-Chairs Chloe Lei SOM ’25 and Rui Li SOM ’25, are helping lead the initiative.
“From research to prototyping, AI shortens the time it takes to go from idea to execution,” Li said, “That lowers the barrier for innovation and opens the door to more voices, just like YouTube did for creators.”
Still, Li believes the biggest challenge lies in public understanding. “As AI systems grow more autonomous, we need strong oversight and widespread AI literacy,” she said, “People must engage critically with these tools — not blindly trust them.”
Collectively, the speakers emphasized that meaningful progress on AI requires communication and collaboration across disciplines and sectors.
“I hope students leave the conference thinking outside traditional boundaries,” Frederick said, “This convening is just one step — we all need to be accountable for continuing the conversation.”
Strattner reinforced that point. “Being able to translate complex ideas across audiences is essential,” she said, “That’s how you drive better decisions and stronger support.”
Responsible AI in Global Business 2025 will take place on April 3 at Edward P. Evans Hall. Registration is open via the Yale School of Management website.
