AI for Non-Technical Leaders: What You Need to Know (Without the Jargon)

Your CEO just asked you to "come up with an AI strategy." Your tech team keeps talking about LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, and agents. Vendors are promising to "transform your business with AI." And you're nodding along, hoping nobody asks you a follow-up question. This session is for you. No code. No jargon. Just what business leaders need to understand to make good AI decisions—explained by someone who's spent 15 years translating between technical teams and executive boards. What We'll Cover: • What AI can actually do today (vs what's still science fiction) • The questions to ask your tech team (and how to interpret the answers) • Build vs buy: When to use off-the-shelf vs custom AI • The real costs of AI (it's not just licensing fees) • Risk and governance: What keeps your legal team up at night • How to spot vendors overselling capabilities You'll Learn: • A mental model for understanding AI capabilities without technical depth • The 7 questions every leader should ask before approving AI investments • How to evaluate AI ROI claims (most are inflated—here's how to check) • What your competitors are actually doing with AI (not what they're announcing) • How to build AI fluency in your team without becoming a data scientist This Session Is For: • Directors, VPs, and C-suite without technical backgrounds • Department heads responsible for AI adoption in their teams • Project managers overseeing AI initiatives • Business analysts bridging tech and business • Anyone who's been told to "figure out AI" without a technical roadmap This Session Is NOT For: • People who want to learn to code or build AI models • Technical practitioners looking for architecture deep-dives • Those expecting vendor demos or product pitches What You'll Leave With: • A framework for evaluating AI opportunities • A checklist of questions for your next AI vendor meeting • Confidence to participate meaningfully in AI strategy discussions • A community of peers navigating the same challenges About the Session: This is executive education, not a tech tutorial. We'll use plain English, real examples, and honest assessments of what works and what doesn't. Bring your questions. Leave with clarity.