SONOMA, CA — A refreshing breeze and a wave of innovation greeted attendees on the second day of Newsweek’s AI Impact Summit, where speakers showcased how artificial intelligence is transforming industries—from healthcare and filmmaking to weather prediction, grocery delivery, and public services.
Healthcare: Transparency, Not Replacement
Opening the day, Cognizant Americas President Surya Gummadi addressed the pressing challenges faced by the healthcare sector: cutting costs, boosting care quality, and improving patient experience. He and other panelists emphasized transparency as a cornerstone of AI integration, particularly around how and why automation is used.
UMass Medicine’s Dr. Allen Chang assured attendees that while some may fear job losses, AI isn’t replacing healthcare workers—but it is reshaping roles. “We need to be transparent about what AI means to our employees,” he said.
Dr. Ashis Barad, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and Gilead Sciences’ Joydeep Ganguly echoed the sentiment. AI is helping hospitals streamline post-operative care and free staff from repetitive admin tasks. “Why hire the brightest minds if they’re buried in tasks that don’t add value?” Ganguly asked.
Filmmaking: Breaking Barriers with AI
The creative world also took center stage as Ben Lock (Asteria) and Eric Shamlin (Secret Level) explored how AI is opening doors for indie filmmakers, allowing for high production value at lower costs. “We can now make more movies, more creatively,” Lock said, suggesting AI could democratize access to Hollywood-grade content creation.
Retail & Public Sector: Smarter Solutions for Daily Life
In a one-on-one discussion, Instacart CPO Daniel Danker revealed how the platform uses AI to create personalized grocery shopping experiences, considering everything from dietary needs to household habits.
Public sector innovation also shined. Suma Nallapati, CIO of Denver, introduced “Sunny,” an AI chatbot that helps residents access services and information with ease. Charlotte’s CDAO Charlitta Hatch emphasized that tech investments in cities directly empower local employees and communities.
Weather Forecasting: Saving Lives with AI
As climate challenges grow, The Weather Channel President Sheri Bachstein explained how AI is enhancing hyper-local weather predictions and improving emergency responses. “Weather is about patterns—and AI sees what the human eye can’t,” she said.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in dynamic roundtables, tech demos, and networking sessions with innovators from Cognizant, Google Cloud, The Marketing Cloud, Serve Robotics, Doctronic, and more. As AI continues to evolve, day two of the summit made one thing clear: this technology is not just reshaping industries—it’s reimagining possibilities.
