Workshop Dates & Format

Choose the format that best fits your schedule. Both workshops cover the same curriculum, demonstrations, and hands-on learning experience.

Live Online Workshop

Thursday, October 29, 2026
3:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (ET)

Join from anywhere for a live, instructor-led virtual workshop featuring AI fundamentals, practical demonstrations, and real-world business use cases.

In-Person Workshop

Friday, October 30, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (ET)

Participate in a full day of interactive instruction, hands-on exercises, and collaborative learning with Pitt Business faculty and AI experts.

This immersive workshop moves from AI fundamentals to a hands-on team build, demonstrating how artificial intelligence can support research, analysis, decision-making, content development, and repeatable process automation.

Throughout the day, Pitt Business faculty and industry experts will demonstrate practical AI applications live while participants work in a ready-made browser environment using mock business data—eliminating the need for software installation or technical setup.

Participants will develop reusable AI components for audience research, positioning and messaging, and AI-ready content before combining them into a working Brand-to-Market Co-pilot. The workshop concludes with team presentations, giving participants both a functioning AI tool and a portfolio of reusable workflows they can adapt to future marketing, communications, research, and business challenges.

What You Will Gain

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand the fundamentals of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI automation.
• Learn how AI supports research, analysis, decision-making, and content development.
• Explore practical AI tools through live demonstrations and guided exercises.
• Build reusable workflows for audience research, positioning, messaging, and AI-ready content.
• Develop a working Brand-to-Market Co-pilot in collaboration with their team.
• Leave with practical AI techniques and reusable workflows that can be applied across a wide range of business challenges.

Why Attend?

This is not just another AI overview.

This workshop is built around application. Throughout the day, participants will explore real AI tools, practical use cases, and hands-on project development. The goal is simple: help attendees leave with something they can use.

Whether you are trying to work more efficiently, analyze information faster, improve your marketing strategy, support research, or better understand how AI is transforming your field, this workshop will give you a practical foundation for moving forward.

Workshop Highlights

AI Fundamentals and Tools for Discovery

Learn the foundations of AI, what tools are available, how they are being used across industries, and where the opportunities and limitations exist.

AI Agents and Custom Solutions

Explore how AI agents and customized tools can support problem-solving, automation, and more efficient workflows.

Data-Driven Marketing

Understand how AI and data can work together to turn information into decisions, insights, and action.

AI Personas and Simulation

Learn how custom chatbots, AI personas, and simulation tools can support research, scenario planning, topic-centered analysis, and forecasting.

AEO/GEO Optimization for AI-Powered Search

Discover how websites and content strategies are evolving for AI search tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other machine-driven discovery platforms.

Hands-On AI Solution Development

Work in teams to apply what you learned throughout the day. Participants will develop a practical AI solution, workflow, chatbot, content strategy, or implementation plan connected to a real-world challenge.

Leave with Real Deliverables

Participants will work toward creating a project they can use beyond the workshop, such as:

• An AI-powered workflow
• A custom chatbot concept
• A marketing or content optimization plan
• A research support tool
• A data-informed decision-making framework
• A LinkedIn-ready project summary
• A portfolio piece that demonstrates applied AI skills

Schedule

8:00 – 9:00 AM
AI Fundamentals and Tools for Discovery

9:00 – 9:30 AM
AI Agents and Custom Solutions

9:30 – 10:30 AM
Foundations of Data-Driven Marketing

10:30 – 10:45 AM
Coffee Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM
AI Personas and Simulation

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
AEO/GEO Optimization for Machines

12:45 – 1:45 PM
Working Lunch and Case Project Discussion

1:45 – 3:45 PM
Development of AI Solutions and Team Presentations