Launching 2026 International Strategy Forum Application! And the AI+ Expo Recap: Spotlight on the AI+ Careers Stage
Highlights from the AI+ Careers Stage at the AI+ Expo.
Hello, I’m Ylli Bajraktari, President of the Special Competitive Studies Project. Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we bring you a focused recap of the insightful sessions and groundbreaking discussions from the AI+ Careers stage at the recent AI+ Expo! This stage served as a vital platform for examining workforce transformation and talent development as AI and emerging technologies reshape professional careers, education, and government.
But first, we’re pleased to announce that SCSP is opening our application for the 2026 International Strategy Forum fellowship cohort!
Launching the 2026 International Strategy Forum Application
Founded by former Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt and co-chaired by CNN host Fareed Zakaria, ISF is a year-long, non-residential fellowship program that empowers rising global leaders aged 25 to 35 to explore the future of geopolitics, technology, and democracy. ISF brings together individuals from diverse fields, including government, academia, deep tech, the military, journalism, and the arts. In 2024, ISF was integrated into SCSP and has become a signature aspect of SCSP’s global network of leaders and experts.
What ISF Offers
ISF is organized around a series of in-person convenings alongside virtual programming, enabling Fellows to engage with each other, ISF alumni and advisors, and the broader SCSP community of leaders working at the intersection of national security and technology.
Our mission is to forge a global, interdisciplinary network of next-generation problem solvers with extraordinary potential in geopolitics, innovation, and public leadership. We seek to build bonds across sectoral and national lines to collectively navigate the challenges of a changing world order.
The 2026 Application
If you or someone you know is eligible and interested in learning more, please find the application here.
Competitive applicants will have the following characteristics:
Demonstrated leadership potential.
Recognized expertise in their professional field.
Clear commitment to ISF’s values of purpose, collaboration, curiosity, and empathy.
Strong devotion to building a network of interdisciplinary leaders working to solve the world’s hardest problems.
The application deadline is August 31, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited to interviews during the fall.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the ISF team at isfteam@scsp.ai with the subject line “ISF in 2026”!
Key Highlights from the AI+ Careers stage
The AI+ Careers stage hosted approximately 45 sessions and 56 speakers throughout the Expo, covering a diverse range of topics from professional and talent development to educational curriculum at major universities. Here are some of the standout moments and discussions:
Session 1: President Paul Alivisatos, University of Chicago
Summary: President Alivisatos outlined how universities are restructuring for the AI era, with the University of Chicago creating a new division to teach all students computational thinking alongside traditional subjects. He emphasized that while AI tools provide answers, universities must focus on developing critical thinking and synthesis skills for effective human-machine collaboration. Alivisatos stressed that universities remain vital for fostering discoveries through curiosity-driven research, citing breakthroughs like CRISPR that revolutionized entire industries.
Speakers/Participants: Featuring moderator and journalist, Lindsey Mastis
Session 2: U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor, Keith Sonderling
Summary: Keith Sonderling discussed two executive orders for AI workforce preparation: mandating over 1 million new high-skilled apprenticeships annually and requiring AI literacy education from K-12 through workforce development. The Deputy Secretary emphasized successful AI workplace integration and building worker trust, while outlining the administration's strategy of public-private collaboration to address talent shortages, redirecting billions in workforce development funds toward AI training, and creating alternative pathways to traditional four-year degrees for entering the tech economy.
Speakers/Participants: Featuring Keith Strier, Senior Vice President, Global AI Markets at AMD
Session 3: Juan Pablo Segura, Secretary of Commerce and Trade of Virginia
Summary: Juan Pablo Segura outlined Virginia's strategy to leverage AI as an economic growth engine, emphasizing that AI creates more jobs than it eliminates. He highlighted the state's transformation into a business-friendly AI hub with strong infrastructure and numerous AI job openings, supported by partnerships with major tech companies for workforce training. Virginia is also using AI internally to streamline government operations and reduce regulatory burden, while providing comprehensive reskilling programs to help workers transition into high-demand technology roles.
Session 4: Rebeca Lamadrid, NobleReach & Dr. Kelly Williams, Oklahoma City's Office of Innovation
Summary: Rebeca Lamadrid and Dr. Kelly Williams discussed their groundbreaking partnership aimed at bringing top STEM and AI talent into public service. With a diverse background in psychology, data science, and nonprofit leadership, Dr. Williams now leads innovation efforts across Oklahoma City's 18 departments and 5,000 employees. Through the NobleReach Scholars program, she is hosting two early-career professionals to drive process improvement and data governance, including AI policy development. The conversation emphasized the importance of empathy, curiosity, and relationship-building in public sector innovation, and highlighted how meaningful, impact-driven work in government can be a powerful career path for the next generation of technologists.
Speakers/Participants: Featuring Dr. Kelly Williams, Chief Innovation Officer of Oklahoma City’s Office of Innovation
Session 5: Felipe Millon, Open AI
Summary: Felipe Millon advises that becoming a "power user" of AI tools is crucial for AI careers. Rather than making dramatic career changes, he recommends leveraging existing expertise by combining domain knowledge with AI skills to find your unique "angle." To keep pace with AI's rapid evolution, Millon suggests staying current through social media, podcasts, and hands-on experimentation with frontier models, while developing personal benchmarks to evaluate which models work best for specific tasks.
Further Insights from the AI + Careers Stage
Beyond these highlighted sessions, the AI + Careers Stage delved into many other critical areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration on topics such as:
AI as a tool to make applicants more competitive in the job market
Academic institutions across the nation engaging in AI-related research
Upskilling and reskilling Veterans and the Military for the workforce demands
We encourage you to explore the full list of sessions from the AI + Careers Stage on our YouTube channel for more in-depth content from our 2025 speaker slate.
Looking Ahead
The discussions on the AI + Careers truly underscored the vast opportunities that are possible due to the evolution and promising future of artificial intelligence and technology. This stage showed the next generation of workers, students, and professionals that lie ahead. We are excited by the progress and insights shared and look forward to seeing how these ideas continue to shape the future.
Stay tuned for more focused recaps from other stages of the AI+ Expo!
Interested in turning these conversations into action by upskilling yourself in AI?
Join our new AI+AGI in National Security Microcredential, which also launched at the AI+ Expo! The microcredential offers insights into AI's transformative role in national security and public sectors. Learn practical applications, explore emerging AGI and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), and position yourself as a leader—regardless of your current role. By completing this microcredential, you'll enhance your strategic advantage, sharpen your operational excellence, and become a leader in AI innovation no matter where you work in the public sector.
The entire program is self-paced and available to you for free! No experience in AI or national security required!