Session: Fireside Chat: The Past, Present, and Future of AI with Igor Jablokov and Mark Hinkle
Long before generative AI captured the world’s attention, Igor Jablokov was quietly building the technologies that would reshape how we interact with machines. Best known as the father of Amazon’s Alexa, Igor brings a rare depth of perspective to the AI conversation — one rooted in decades of hands-on work in voice intelligence, natural language processing, and product development at the frontier of what’s possible.
In this fireside chat with Mark Hinkle, CEO of Peripety Labs and co-founder of All Things AI, Igor shares candid reflections on the evolution of the AI industry — from its early winters to today’s explosive growth — and what he sees coming next. The conversation explores what it was like building AI when few believed in its commercial potential, how the landscape has shifted, and where the real opportunities lie for entrepreneurs and enterprises alike.
Perhaps most compelling is Igor’s bold thesis: that North Carolina is poised to produce its first trillion-dollar startup, fueled by the state’s growing concentration of AI talent, world-class research universities, and a business-friendly ecosystem that’s increasingly attracting top-tier investment and innovation.
Whether you’re a founder, investor, enterprise leader, or technologist, this conversation offers a front-row seat to the thinking of one of AI’s true pioneers — and a vision for why the Triangle may be the next epicenter of transformative AI innovation.
