Troy University will convene experts Friday, September 18, to examine who remains accountable when artificial intelligence influences decisions, handles sensitive information or acts with limited human direction.
The second annual Terry and Barbara Everett Symposium on Emerging Technologies will take place at the university’s Dothan Campus. This year’s theme is “Ethical Use of Generative and Agentic Artificial Intelligence for Public and Private Organizations.”
The event is free, but advance registration is required. The university said only a limited number of seats remain.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Presentations will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Sony Hall.
Representatives from business, industry, the military, law enforcement and higher education will discuss how generative and agentic AI are changing decision-making, automation, public communication, cybersecurity and organizational operations.
Sessions also will cover data privacy, bias, human oversight, regulatory compliance and the security risks of giving increasingly autonomous AI systems access to an organization’s data and digital infrastructure.
Edward Fulford, director of Troy’s Center for Applied Innovation and Cybersecurity, said AI systems can plan and carry out sequences of actions across business and government networks. Organizations also must navigate the European Union’s AI Act, a growing patchwork of state laws and continuing disputes over the federal government’s regulatory authority.
“This symposium explores how organizations can responsibly deploy AI systems while maintaining transparency, accountability, data privacy, regulatory compliance and public trust,” Fulford said.
Scheduled speakers include:
- Aaron Wright, Alabama’s chief artificial intelligence officer, who will present “Human Judgment as Critical Infrastructure: Preserving Critical Thinking in an AI-Assisted World.”
- Eddie Sorrells, chief executive officer of Dothan-based DSI Security, who will discuss “The 2026 AI Regulatory and Legal Landscape: Building Public Trust.”
- Jay Claiborne, professor of practice in information systems at Troy, who will present “From Red Flag to Real Consequence: How Much Should AI Influence Decisions?”
- Anna Grace Du Noyer, global chief AI, ethics and impact officer at Electus Global Education, who will present “Raising AI: The Formative Years.”
- Klint Walker, a cybersecurity adviser with the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who will discuss how AI is changing cybersecurity and homeland defense.
- Fulford, who will examine AI ethics from cybersecurity, governance and digital innovation perspectives.
The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion titled “Maturing AI Ethically and Responsibly: Governance, Trust and Growing Pains.”
Organizers will provide certificates of attendance. Participants may submit the certificate and event agenda to licensing boards or professional associations for possible continuing education credit.
Former U.S. Representative Terry Everett and his wife, Barbara, established a fund through the Troy University Foundation to support the symposium.
Everett worked as a newspaper editor and publisher before representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. He retired from Congress in 2009.
He previously served as an Air Force intelligence analyst and later held positions on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. His work gave him firsthand knowledge of the threats that vulnerable computer systems and emerging technologies could pose to businesses, government agencies and national security.
Barbara Everett described her husband as a lifelong “techie nerd” who embraced new technology during his years in the newspaper business. She recalled that he bought one of the first computers used within roughly 100 miles of Dothan.
The Everetts established the fund to help people and organizations in southeast Alabama better understand emerging technologies, their potential benefits and the risks of using them.
The complete agenda, speaker information and registration link are available on the Terry and Barbara Everett Symposium website.
