By Devin Lewis

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a buzzword on social media or a homework shortcut. For students across the Florida Panhandle, it’s becoming the new language of employment. That was the message shared loud and clear at the Leadership in the Age of AI conference hosted by the University of West Florida (UWF), where state leaders, local executives, and educators gathered to discuss how AI is reshaping education, business, and the job market.

AI Literacy = Career Readiness:
For Pensacola State College students, the most striking theme of the conference was that AI literacy is now career literacy. Understanding how to use AI tools—responsibly and creatively—will soon matter as much as knowing how to write a résumé or present a project.

Dr. Andrew M. DelGaudio, Executive Director of the AWKO Center for Leadership, opened the conference on behalf of Florida’s Interim President Manny Diaz Jr., calling it “a great opportunity to learn something new and exciting about our ever-changing world and the role technology is playing.”

Diaz Jr. pushed the audience to think about AI not as a threat to education, but as a connector—a force that can unify universities, businesses, and government in preparing the next generation for the workforce. “AI should improve lives and community well-being,” he said, emphasizing collaboration as the key to progress.

What Students Need to Know:
UWF’s Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, Associate Vice President at the Center for Cybersecurity, gave one of the day’s most data-packed presentations. She described AI as “the driving force of today’s innovation,” and her numbers backed it up:
– The AI industry is worth $56 billion globally.
– 96% of Fortune 500 companies use AI in their operations.
– AI has increased global GDP by 7%.
– 70% of universities and 80% of students already use AI tools in learning.

For students, that means it’s no longer optional to understand AI—it’s a prerequisite for employability. Dr. El-Sheikh predicted that careers like AI engineers and AI consultants would continue to grow rapidly, and that future classrooms will likely integrate AI personalization to match students’ learning styles.

Her message to students was simple: “Regardless of what you are studying, we are helping students to be AI enablers.”

Lessons from Local Business Leaders:
The event’s CEO Leadership Panel drove home how quickly this change is happening in Pensacola’s business world.

David Bear, CEO of the Lewis Bear Company, said his company already uses AI to manage inventory, improve driver safety, and summarize legal contracts. “AI will infiltrate every facet of business,” he said. “We’re looking for people who can work with it, not around it.”

Doug Kreis, Founding Partner at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz (AWKO), shared how AI cut the firm’s research time from ten hours to one. “It’s an opportunity to stay ahead,” he said, adding that AI will eventually help doctors and lawyers predict risk before problems occur.

From the hospitality industry, Ted Ent, CEO of Innisfree Hotels, reminded everyone that AI adoption comes with growing pains. “Training is more intense now—but it’s what allows us to keep moving forward,” he said. His company is already exploring ways to integrate AI into hotel management and even housekeeping operations.

Why It Matters for PSC Students:
For Pensacola State students—whether studying marketing, communications, health sciences, or business—the conference revealed a clear pattern: AI is becoming part of every field.

PSC’s role in this future is to help students graduate not only with degrees but with digital confidence. That means using AI tools to boost learning, creativity, and problem-solving instead of fearing them.

“As a PSC student, I’ve started using AI for research and résumé writing,” said Marisa Hall, a second-year business major. “But hearing local leaders talk about it as a hiring requirement made me realize it’s time to learn how to use it strategically.”

The Path Forward:
The conference’s biggest takeaway was that AI literacy equals employability. Students who understand how to work alongside AI—rather than around it—will have the edge in Pensacola’s growing economy.

Equally important, leaders reminded everyone that human judgment still matters. While machines can analyze data, ethical decision-making and creative insight remain uniquely human strengths.

For PSC and UWF students alike, the call to action is clear: embrace AI as a tool for leadership, not a replacement for learning. The future workforce won’t just use AI—it will be built by those who understand it.