Alaska SBDC Summit 2026
The Alaska SBDC Summit was all about Innovation in AI (Artificial Intelligence), Healthcare, and Business. This summit was very informative on what time is coming to be with advanced technologies. The Edge of Innovation was about finding ways to solve challenges and build thriving businesses. It is important to connect and share, support, and explore new tools to understand what it is like to do business in Alaska.
During the summit, we got to listen, collaborate, and bring our best thinking to these sessions and meet other professionals. We can bring our ideas to and from each other both professionally and in our everyday lives. AI in innovation is a good tool to use for shortcuts, especially with wording and important details. These changes bring about transformation and adaptation.
It is crucial that we understand the process, risks, return on investments, ask questions, and learn – to have confidence to move forward. Learning to use AI is kind of scary for some, practicing learning and using AI will build confidence from confusion. It is good to start with intent, train skills, and practice with AI so it can learn how to talk to that person.
AI is here to provide support whether we like it or not, it is here and there is no turning back. Technology has gotten more developed and into our lives that it is used in almost everything we do. Today, hospitals are exploring ways to use AI to make it easier for healthcare professionals and patients. This support cuts much time in half, for example, by putting a small monitor on the patient’s arm to check vitals, and they can do it while the patient is sleeping without needing to wake them. This makes it more convenient for both the patient and the provider. There are more ideas coming out as the days go by, making life a bit more convenient.
These new methods that we use as tools today help us to understand how business is working. Some of the new ideas include cutting jobs that people do not need to be at to help save money (which is already happening), the physical distance between the doctor and a patient out in rural Alaska and improve efficiency. Artificial Intelligence is technology we cannot escape from and already here, we can only try to help make it better so that it works well with us and no mistakes. This is innovation at its early adaptation.
1. AI is No Longer Optional
2. AI as a Multiplier, Not Just a Tool
3. AI Must Be Integrated Into the Early States of Work - Think Brainstorming Projects
4. Evaluate Performance with AI in Mind: Are Staff and Business Areas Leveraging AI?
5. Learning by Doing is Mandatory
6. Develop AI Skills: Learn Prompt Engineering, AI Capabilities and Limitation, etc.
7. Justify Headcount Decisions with AI
8. Everyone is Responsible for AI - Even Administrators and Executives
9. Community Learning and Sharing is Essential: Develop a Knowledge-Base
10. AI + Entrepreneurship = The New Normal