About us
Applied AI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to developing the next generation of AI leaders in Minnesota. We do this through a conference, podcast, weekly news, monthly newsletters, YouTube channel, and monthly meetups. Our events provide education, hands-on training, and real-world AI applications to help people of all ages learn how to use AI to solve real-life problems.
Want to speak at a Meetup?
We'd love to hear from you! We're always looking for practitioners to share real-world AI projects, lessons learned, and hands-on demos. No polished keynote required, just something genuinely useful for the community. Our one big rule: teach, don't sell.
Apply to speak here and check out our speaker expectations before you apply.
Additionally, we encourage you to subscribe to our Conversation On Applied AI Podcast. We publish new episodes every other week on topics related to Artificial Intelligence and its applications! We also publish a Monthly Newsletter with details on our current events and ways to engage with our community.
What is Artificial Intelligence
In computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans. Leading AI textbooks define the field as the study of "intelligent agents": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is often used to describe machines (or computers) that mimic "cognitive" functions that humans associate with the human mind, such as "learning" and "problem solving".
What is AppliedAI?
Simple. :) It's the real-world applications that these far-fetched, big ideas lead to. Some things around us that are applications of AI include digital assistants (Google Home, Alexa), self-driving cars, robots, chatbots and many many more!
Who should go AppliedAI Meetups?
This group is a place for anyone who is interesting in learning, sharing and applying Artificial Intelligence to their products and services. It's also for people of all ages just interested in what's going on in the AI space by networking and talking with real-world practitioners of this exciting and new technology.
What happens at AppliedAI Meetups?
• We have speakers and panelists talking about AI in real-world scenarios
• We do demos of AI related projects and explain how they work
• We discuss, where AI has been, where it is today and where it's heading in the future
• We have fun!
Where else can I find you?
Follow us on social media!
Facebook, LinkedIN and Twitter
We also have a podcast and YouTube page.
What are the colors of your logo?
They are derived from the color palette of a few of the first-ever AI-generated photos from Google’s Deep Learning tool.
Upcoming events
2
Every Application Is an Island: Designing Software for an AI-Native Future
Eliassen Group, 5929 Baker Road, Minnetonka, MN, USOverview
Every Application Is an Island: Designing Software for an AI-Native FutureOrganizations spend millions building applications, yet most users only tap into a fraction of their capabilities. Employees spend weeks learning systems, customers struggle to discover value, and powerful features go unused. Traditional applications suffer from two constraints: users must know a capability exists, and applications can only do what their designers anticipated.
AI changes both assumptions.When AI becomes a first-class part of an application, users no longer need to understand every menu, workflow, or feature. They can simply express intent and let the application act on their behalf. And when AI can access data, tools, and systems across the enterprise, applications become more than isolated experiences. They become connected networks of capabilities that can help users solve problems in ways never explicitly designed.
This session explores four principles for building AI-native applications:
- AI as a first-class interface. Moving beyond chatbots to treat AI as another application interface alongside UIs, APIs, and workflows.
- Safety by design. Establishing clear boundaries where AI can assist, suggest, and automate while keeping irreversible decisions in human hands.
- Tools over prompts. Why well-designed tools, interfaces, and responsibilities often matter more than increasingly complex prompts.
- Testing for the real world. Using simulated personas, adversarial users, and qualitative evaluation methods to measure AI effectiveness as models evolve.
This is not a session about prompt engineering hacks or the latest model release. It is a practical discussion about building software that is easier to learn, easier to use, and capable of delivering value beyond its original design through AI.
What the audience walks away with
- A framework for thinking about AI as a native application capability rather than an add-on feature
- Practical patterns for integrating AI into existing applications and workflows
- Strategies for creating safe, trustworthy AI experiences with appropriate human oversight
- Approaches for testing and evaluating AI-enabled applications as technology continues to evolve
- Real-world examples of how AI can improve adoption, reduce onboarding friction, and unlock value from existing systems
Format
35 to 45 minutes, single speaker, no product pitch. Q&A as time allows. Networking before and after.Meet Our Featured Speaker
Bob Fischer, Sr. Director - Product & Training, Eliassen GroupSponsors
This event is sponsored and hosted by Eliassen Group34 attendees
Applied AI Conference - TICKETS ON EVENTBRITE
St Paul River Centre, St Paul, MN 55102, St Paul, Mi, USMinnesota's biggest AI event of the year is back. One day, multiple stages, every format you can think of — keynotes, panels, workshops — covering how AI is actually being used across industries.
Heads up: this is a paid event, and tickets are sold through Eventbrite, not Meetup.
This is where the Upper Midwest's AI community gets in a room together: builders, business leaders, researchers, and the "non-technical but curious" crowd all in one place.
📅 When: Monday, November 2nd
📍 Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre
🎟️ Tickets: Early bird pricing available now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/applied-ai-conference-2026-tickets-1993486676312?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true
🎤 Call for Speakers: Open through September 9th, apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeT_3qFpGf6bI7MkUzAgorCTQFRWnZntzS-SttUBYLWyrb_CQ/viewform?usp=dialog
🤝 Want to sponsor? Email sponsorship@appliedai.mn
❓ Questions or want to learn more? Email team@appliedai.mnVisit appliedaiconf.com for all the details, and follow Applied AI on LinkedIn for all the latest conference updates.
RSVP-ing here helps us gauge interest and keeps you in the loop on updates, but you'll need an Eventbrite ticket to actually attend.
Hosted by Applied AI — the largest AI community in the Upper Midwest.
48 attendees
Past events
232
