National Conference on AI in Rural Economies In North Adams | 08:24AM / Thursday, August 28, 2025 | |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — 1Berkshire, the Berkshire Innovation Center and the Center on Rural Innovation will hold a conference artificial intelligence on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
"Accelerating What's Possible: The Next Chapter for Rural Economies in the Age of AI" will be happening at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.
"For five years, CORI and the Rural Innovation Network have been a vital conduit to improve practices, advancing initiatives, and finding tailored guidance," said Ben Lamb, vice president of economic development at 1Berkshire. "To be able to partner with them in bringing this national conference to our corner of the world is both energizing and an honor as we get to welcome in friends, peers and colleagues from near and far to think and act in ways to advance our regional economy and the rural economies we find kinship with."
This one-day national conference will bring together industry experts, policy leaders, rural economy innovators, and acceleration partners from across the country to the Berkshires to network, engage and set the course for the next chapter of rural economic development and innovation.
Starting in 2020, the Berkshire Tech Impact Collaborative, a coalition of 1Berkshire, the Berkshire Innovation Center, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College, began working with CORI to assess and advance initiatives and opportunities aligned with the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0 to catalyze, amplify, and accelerate the tech and innovation economy of the Berkshires.
"The incredible potential for technology and innovation to drive rural growth is evident in places like the Berkshires," said Matt Dunne, CORI founder and executive director. "We are excited to be able to host this national gathering in a state that is leading the nation's innovation economy and explore opportunities and challenges that the AI era presents for rural communities across the country."
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