Round Table

Developing AI Fluency for Non-AI Leaders

Kent Wills
Director of Engineering @ Yelp
September 10
11:00 - 11:45 am
Table 2

Summary

AI is everywhere—even in this summary. One day the headline is “25% of new Google code is generated by AI,” the next it’s “AI is doing up to 50% of the work at Salesforce,” and then a report warns that “95% of generative AI pilots are failing.” With so many mixed messages, it’s hard to know what’s real. Beyond the headlines, what does AI actually mean, and how can executives build the right context to understand where it can be applied effectively? This roundtable will dig into those questions, looking at what’s really happening “under the hood.” We’ll cut through the jargon, cover the key terms worth knowing, and share best practices for responsible adoption. If you’ve been on the sidelines of the AI race, this session is a chance to hear stories from leaders facing similar challenges—and to walk away with practical insights, a shared vocabulary, and greater confidence in how to approach AI in your role.

Speakers

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Kent Wills
Director of Engineering @ Yelp

Kent Wills Senior Director of Engineering @ Yelp Kent leads the Core Experience group at Yelp—covering the Home feed, business search, and business information pages. He is currently focused on building Yelp’s next generation of AI-integrated products. Before moving into product engineering, Kent led the Engineering Effectiveness group, where he developed strategies to improve the developer experience and explored how AI could enhance it.