Artificial intelligence is not a future technology. It is here. Much like electricity transformed manufacturing and the internet gave rise to the knowledge economy, AI is creating massive changes across industries, including law, health care, information and communications, government, and education. Entirely new organizations and economic sectors are already brewing, some of which we cannot even fully imagine.
Across Durango and La Plata County, local leaders are already thinking critically about AI and integrating it into their operations. At the same time, for many in our community, AI feels unfamiliar, full of unanswered questions, and even threatening.
At the AI Institute at Fort Lewis College, we are exploring AI applications in the workplace, weighing risks and benefits, and sharing lessons across all our partners. Our Elevate AI incubator program supports regional organizations and campus partners in testing AI tools to solve problems and meet real-world needs. One consistent insight: When used thoughtfully, AI does not replace people; it creates more room for meaningful, person-to-person work.
The AI Institute does not claim to have all the answers, but we are helping ask the right questions: What does AI mean for our students? How do we prepare them for a future we cannot fully predict? How do government, business and industry ensure AI aligns with organizational values and the public good rather than eroding those values? Most importantly, how do we ensure that AI strengthens human connection rather than replacing it?
These questions help shape the Four Corners AI Conference, which returns to FLC in December. Now in its second year, the conference is hosted by the AI Institute, Durango Chamber of Commerce and La Plata Economic Development Alliance. The conference is designed for community dialogue and practical learning. This is a day for educators, health care providers, business owners, civic leaders and residents to come together to explore how AI might support their work, goals and lives. It is also about learning where we need guardrails and where AI does not work. We will feature voices from national experts and local leaders.
AI is not a silver bullet. It is a tool. And like any tool, its impact depends on how and why we use it. The conversation about AI is not just for tech companies and industry insiders. It belongs in classrooms, clinics, nonprofits, small businesses and town meetings. It belongs to all of us.
Our region has an opportunity to lead not by being the fastest to adopt AI, but by being the most intentional in how we approach it. The Four Corners AI Conference takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at FLC. Tickets are free, with the option to buy lunch. FLC students eat free. To learn more or register, visit https://ai.fortlewis.edu/. I hope you will join us.
Mario Martinez is the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Fort Lewis College and the founder of the AI Institute.
