AI is now essential in research, education, and industry. AI Days 2026 brings together Vanderbilt’s community of AI researchers, educators, and practitioners for two days of hands-on workshops, breakthrough research presentations, and practical skills training. Explore the foundations of AI, work confidently with the latest models, and examine the ethical and social implications shaping our field—while building collaborations across domains.
March 4th – 5th
Holiday Inn Vanderbilt (West End)
Come with Ideas. Leave with Solutions.
Vanderbilt and the College of Connected Computing announce the university's third annual AI Days. This 2-day event, scheduled for March 4th-5th, is open to the public and offers something for everyone who wants to learn more about artificial intelligence. Participants will explore modern training methods and architectural models in AI and ensure that they are up to date in this rapidly evolving landscape. For faculty and students that will be teaching AI models or using AI models in their classroom or research, this event offers essential topics.
AI Days 2026 features two focused tracks across two days. Day 1 explores AI literacy and strategic thinking — how large language models actually work, the ethics of AI in research, and the psychology of human-AI collaboration. Day 2 is hands-on: building AI research assistants, creating research tools without coding, and designing AI-enhanced courses. Full session descriptions and timing drop February 20.
Block your calendars now. Two full days of workshops, presentations, and networking with colleagues from across Vanderbilt. Registration opens soon—we'll notify you when it's live.
AI Days 2026 is hosted by Vanderbilt's College of Connected Computing (CCC) and the Data Science Institute (DSI), bringing together faculty, staff, and students from across campus to explore how AI is transforming research, education, and practice.
AI Days is for anyone at Vanderbilt looking to work more effectively with AI—no prior experience required.
Faculty: Explore how AI can enhance your research and scholarship
Staff: Stay current with AI tools transforming how we work
Graduate Students: Build practical skills for your research and career (application-based registration)
External Guests: Limited seats available for industry professionals and community partners
This year, AI Days moves to the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt on West End. The venue offers dedicated breakout rooms for hands-on workshops, a large main session space, and convenient parking right behind the building. Everything under one roof—no crossing campus between sessions.
Learn how to design and build AI systems that can take actions, make decisions, and complete complex tasks autonomously. This hands-on track covers the architecture behind agentic AI and practical approaches to implementation.
Explore the latest advances in AI reasoning, including models like DeepSeek R1 and o3. Understand how these models think through problems step-by-step and when to use them in your work.
Discover how to extend Claude's capabilities with custom skills and use Claude Code for agentic coding workflows. Ideal for those looking to integrate AI assistants into research and administrative tasks.
Understand your options for running AI models locally or in secure environments. Essential for researchers working with sensitive data or institutions with strict compliance requirements.
Examine the ethical and social implications of AI adoption. Discuss frameworks for responsible use in academic and professional settings.
AI Days 2025 brought together over 150 faculty, staff, and students for two days of hands-on workshops, research presentations, and networking. Sessions covered everything from AI agents and reinforcement learning to AI in education and ethical considerations. Attendees praised the interactive format and practical focus. This year, we're building on that momentum with expanded sessions, new topics, and more opportunities to connect with colleagues across Vanderbilt.
We're finalizing the details now. Here's what's confirmed:
Keynote: Dean Matthew Johnson-Roberson in a live podcast format
Format: Hands-on workshops, research presentations, and organized networking (we'll match you with fellow attendees based on your interests)
Bonus: Attendees receive priority access to AI consulting hours as you work toward implementing what you imagine building.
Stay tuned as we release the full schedule, session details, and registration information.