
What we’re about
AppliedAI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to developing the next generation of AI leaders in Minnesota. We do this through a conference, podcast, weekly news, monthly newsletters, YouTube channel, and monthly meetups. Our events provide education, hands-on training, and real-world AI applications to help people of all ages learn how to use AI to solve real-life problems.
Additionally, we encourage you to subscribe to our Conversation On Applied AI Podcast. We publish new episodes every other week on topics related to Artificial Intelligence and its applications! We also publish a Monthly Newsletter with details on our current events and ways to engage with our community.
What is Artificial Intelligence
In computer science, artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans. Leading AI textbooks define the field as the study of "intelligent agents": any device that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals. Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is often used to describe machines (or computers) that mimic "cognitive" functions that humans associate with the human mind, such as "learning" and "problem solving".
What is AppliedAI?
Simple. :) It's the real-world applications that these far-fetched, big ideas lead to. Some things around us that are applications of AI include digital assistants (Google Home, Alexa), self-driving cars, robots, chatbots and many many more!
Who should go AppliedAI Meetups?
This group is a place for anyone who is interesting in learning, sharing and applying Artificial Intelligence to their products and services. It's also for people of all ages just interested in what's going on in the AI space by networking and talking with real-world practitioners of this exciting and new technology.
What happens at AppliedAI Meetups?
• We have speakers and panelists talking about AI in real-world scenarios
• We do demos of AI related projects and explain how they work
• We discuss, where AI has been, where it is today and where it's heading in the future
• We have fun!
Where else can I find you?
Follow us on social media!
Facebook, LinkedIN and Twitter
We also have a podcast and YouTube page.
What are the colors of your logo?
They are derived from the color palette of a few of the first-ever AI-generated photos from Google’s Deep Learning tool.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Modern magic: Building multi-agent systems with finite state machinesLab651, St Paul, MN
Overview
From our AI overlord’s perspective, the world is state machines all the way down. This talk explores how the Finite State Machine and Actor Model—timeless tools for modeling complex, distributed systems—can power Agentic AI workflows to tackle today’s toughest problems. By combining these principles, engineers can build operable systems capable of planning, perceiving, and deciding with clarity, predictability, and control.We’ll explore how these models apply in the age of LLMs through common Agentic patterns like tool use, reflection, planning, supervision, human-in-the-loop, and a new one I just made up--chartering. All illustrated through the lens of beautiful state charts. Whether you’re on the bleeding edge of AI or seeking proven software design strategies, this talk offers tools to tackle process and system complexity head-on.
Agenda
6:00pm - 6:30pm: Networking - food & drinks
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Presentation & discussion
8:00pm: Networking at Lake Monster BrewingMeet Our Featured Speaker
Adam Terlson is an AI engineer and seasoned technology leader passionate about building systems that improve lives. With a background in full-stack development, cloud architecture, platform engineering, and mobile applications, he blends deep technical expertise with a focus on engineering excellence and lovable customer experiences. Previously, he led major initiatives at Best Buy, including launching Mobile Self-Checkout and driving DevOps/Cloud Native transformation at Fortune 100 scale. A life-long builder, Adam now explores how AI can power the next generation of intelligent, human-centered systems and transform software engineering practices.Sponsors
This event is sponsored by Lab651 & Recursive Awesome - AI in Product Management: Agentic AI DemystifiedLab651, St Paul, MN
Overview
Agentic AI is the next leap beyond chatbots and RAG apps—autonomous, goal-seeking systems that loop through Perceive → Plan → Act → Learn. But when is that extra complexity worth it?In this fast-moving session we’ll:
- Define the agentic pattern in plain English.
- Contrast it with the three workhorse Gen-AI patterns (prompt-only apps, RAG, and fine-tuned models).
- Decide with a 5-question litmus test exactly when agents make sense—and when they don’t.
- Demo three production-grade agents you can replicate this month.
- Send you home with open-source repos, architecture diagrams, and a decision checklist PDF.
Whether you lead a product team, wrangle data pipelines, or just want AI to do more than write emails, you’ll leave ready to pilot your own agent—without letting it go feral.
Agenda
- 2:00pm - 2:30pm: Arrival and networking
- 2:30pm - 2:45pm: Announcements and round-room introductions
- 2:45pm - 3:30pm: Featured presentation by Mike Hands, Agentic AI Demystified: What It Is, When to Use It, and 3 Real-World Agents You Can Steal
- 3:30pm - 4:00pm: Your impromptu discussion topics
- 4:00pm onwards: Continued networking at Monster Brewing
Meet Our Featured Speaker
Mike Hands – Fractional Product & AI Consultant, founder of Able AI.
Mike has led the development of flagship digital products in Fortune 500 and startup settings across a range of industries.Sponsors
This event is sponsored by Lab651 & Recursive AwesomeOrganizers
This event is part of the community interest groups series at Applied AI, where community members power sessions for niche interest areas through the Applied AI platform.This event is organized and hosted by Cameron Gross, John DeBauche, and Beth-Alison Berggren.
Want to host your own community group? Reach out to team@appliedai.mn to learn more!
- AI as Your Health Ally: Beyond the Doctor's OfficeLab651, St Paul, MN
Overview
Many of you may remember my previous MinneBar talk "Side Projects for Fun and Profit." Today, I'm sharing a different journey – one that began with a routine checkup revealing concerning biomarkers and led to an unexpected exploration of how AI can transform health management.
Between brief doctor visits every few months, I found myself turning to AI for guidance – asking detailed questions about diet modifications, medication interactions, and lifestyle adjustments. By capturing food images, tracking metrics, and providing health context, I received increasingly personalized guidance that produced measurable improvements in just three months.
This experience highlighted a critical gap in our healthcare system: the lack of intelligent day-to-day guidance between medical appointments. Drawing on my engineering background, I've been developing a solution that combines medical records, wearable data, and AI to provide continuous, personalized health support – turning scattered numbers into actionable insights.
What's particularly promising is how this approach could democratize healthcare for widespread conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. By making personalized guidance accessible regardless of location or socioeconomic status, we can help address health inequities that disproportionately affect underserved communities.
Join me to explore:
- How AI can decode complex health information and make it personally relevant
- Practical techniques for using AI as a health companion (with live demonstrations)
- The technical challenges of creating memory-aware AI that builds context over time
- Privacy-first approaches to handling sensitive health data
I'll share honest insights from both perspectives – as someone who used AI to improve health outcomes and as an engineer crafting solutions to help others navigate similar paths.
Agenda
6:00pm - 6:30pm: Networking - food & drinks
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Presentation & discussion
8:00pm: Networking at Lake Monster BrewingMeet Our Featured Speaker
Adeel Ahmad is a Founder/Principal at Lab 1908, a startup studio in St. Paul, and an investor/advisor at a bunch of startups around Twin Cities and San Francisco.Sponsors
This event is sponsored by Lab651 & Recursive Awesome - The AI Models Behind Modern Drug DiscoveryLab651, St Paul, MN
Overview
Over half of all therapeutics approved by the FDA last year came from companies that would be considered startups. Drug discovery as an industry has never been more accessible than it is today, in large part due to AI. We'll discuss in depth the models that made this happen and what to expect in the future.
6:00pm - 6:30pm: Networking - food & drinks
6:30pm - 8:00pm: Presentation & discussion
8:00pm: Networking at Lake Monster BrewingMeet Our Featured Speaker
Alex Melton leads Invene's engineering teams to deliver secure, compliant, and deadline-driven healthcare solutions. Previously, he successfully exited his own consulting company, where he built innovative products integrating hardware and software. He's passionate about speaking and helping business leaders understand technology so they can make better, more informed decisions. He also mentors engineers and regularly explores white papers to stay ahead of the latest technological advancements.Sponsors
This event is sponsored by Lab651 & Recursive Awesome