David Watts, Davis Institute for AI, Colby College: “Leading the AI Renaissance Through the Liberal Arts”

As Director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby College, David has launched pivotal initiatives that have established the college as a national leader of AI education. Under his leadership Colby was recently named one of the “15 Colleges Best Preparing Students for the AI Economy” by IvyWise. Colby was specifically distinguished for “its broader humanity-wide implications” and excellence in interdisciplinary integration, ethics, and real-world applications.

David also serves on the Board of Directors for the GEM National Consortium, where he chaired the Finance Committee and leverages a distinguished career in science and technology innovation to empower the next generation of STEM leaders in the AI era.

Previously, David served as Vice President at IBM, leading R&D and business strategy. His career spans over 20 years across successful startups and Fortune 500 companies, where he scaled transformative advancements in AI, hybrid cloud, and enterprise systems. By merging technical depth with an interdisciplinary strategic mindset, David has co-created impactful solutions that drive sustained growth for global institutions and businesses.