On February 15, the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin (ASEI) hosted an AI Summit at UCSC Silicon Valley, marking the 10-year milestone of its Silicon Valley chapter. The event brought together prominent academics, researchers, speakers, and industry leaders to discuss key developments in artificial intelligence.
UCSC Dean PK Agarwal and ASEI Silicon Valley President Piyush Malik welcomed attendees before Dr. Srikar Reddy, India’s Consul General in San Francisco, highlighted India’s digital economy and the role AI plays in initiatives like the India AI mission. Referencing Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks on AI at the Paris AI Action Summit and his visit to the U.S., Dr. Reddy emphasized the strengthening Indo-U.S. AI collaboration. His office later shared event highlights on X.
The summit opened with a classical music performance by high school student Sohum Gupta. AI strategist and author Tonya Long introduced conference chair Piyush Malik, a veteran in AI and data science, whose experience spans roles at PwC, IBM, and Google. U.S. Congressman Ro Khanna sent a video message expressing his eagerness to integrate AI insights from the ASEI community into policymaking, healthcare, and energy solutions while ensuring ethical safeguards.
In a keynote session, Hans Sandhu, Chief Business Officer of TheAgentic, discussed how AI-driven digital workers are reshaping traditional SaaS. Piyush Malik later led a fireside chat with Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean, a generative AI startup valued at $4.6 billion with a $100 million ARR. Jain described AI’s transformative journey from research labs in the 1950s to today’s enterprise applications, emphasizing that AI isn’t replacing jobs but enhancing productivity.
Investor and entrepreneur Dr. Muddu Sudhakar examined AI’s disruption potential, touching on policy shifts, tariffs, and investment trends. Another panel featuring Mihir Shukla, CEO of Automation Anywhere, and Debu Chatterjee, CEO of Konfer, delved into responsible AI, privacy, and security.
Further discussions covered AI’s applications in diverse fields, from supply chains to biotechnology, with experts like Stanford professor Dr. Ashwin Rao and SETI Institute researcher Dr. Uma Gayathri sharing insights. A closing panel of AI pioneers, including Raj Yavatkar (CTO at Juniper Networks), Rama Akkiraju (VP at NVIDIA), and Shikhar Kwatra (OpenAI), explored career readiness in the AI era, offering guidance on thriving in a rapidly evolving industry.
The event concluded with a networking session and cake-cutting ceremony celebrating ASEI’s decade of impact in Silicon Valley. ASEI, a nonprofit founded in 1983, continues to support professionals and students through mentorship, scholarships, and industry collaborations, fostering an inclusive community committed to technological progress.
