Artificial intelligence is moving quickly from novelty to everyday business tool, but a Redlands event this month is asking a more difficult question: when should organizations actually use it?

The University of Redlands will host “Putting AI in Its Place” on Wednesday, October 7.

The event is scheduled for the Casa Loma Room, with dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the talk from 6 to 7 p.m.

Speaker Dr. Wendy Keyes of Esri will examine AI through geospatial analytics and behavioral economics.

That framing matters because many AI decisions are ultimately about incentives, risk, cost and who bears the consequences when automated systems get something wrong.

The discussion moves beyond the usual “what can AI do?” conversation.

Instead, it asks where AI creates genuine value, where hidden costs emerge and whether a simpler approach might solve the same problem.

That is useful for local businesses, public agencies and organizations facing pressure to adopt AI simply because competitors are doing it.

The geospatial angle also gives the event a distinctive connection to the region’s technology ecosystem.

Location data can make AI more useful, but it can also raise questions about accuracy, bias, privacy and unequal impacts.

The strongest guardrails become most important where the cost of an error is highest.

Registration information is available through the university’s event page.