CSUB to host first Tech Expo exploring AI across education, business, and security
California State University, Bakersfield plans a free public technology expo focused on artificial intelligence, bringing together students, educators, businesses, and experts to discuss its uses in education, business, ethics, and cybersecurity.
CSUB to host first Tech Expo exploring AI across education, business, and security
A new public technology event in Bakersfield
California State University, Bakersfield is preparing to launch its first AI Tech Expo, an event intended to open a broader community conversation about how artificial intelligence is being used across major parts of everyday life and work. Branded as NextTech Kern 2025, the expo is designed to bring together students, faculty, local businesses, and community members for a shared look at emerging technology and the practical questions that come with it.
The event reflects a growing effort by colleges and universities to move discussions about AI beyond specialist circles and into public forums where educators, employers, and residents can better understand both the opportunities and the risks of rapidly changing tools.
Focus on education, business, ethics, and security
Organizers say the expo will be structured around four session tracks, giving attendees a chance to explore AI from several different angles. Those tracks include education, business applications, ethical use, and cybersecurity, suggesting that the event is meant to be both practical and forward-looking rather than purely academic.
That mix is significant because it places AI within the kinds of decisions that institutions and employers are already facing: how to use it in classrooms, how to apply it in professional settings, how to set limits around responsible use, and how to protect systems and information as digital tools become more powerful. By including both local and national vendors as well as subject-matter experts, the expo appears aimed at connecting broad technology trends with on-the-ground needs in Kern County.
Leadership and community participation
A prominent part of the program will be a keynote address from Congressman Vince Fong, adding a policy and public leadership dimension to the event. His involvement signals that conversations about AI are no longer confined to tech companies or university labs; they are increasingly part of civic, economic, and regulatory discussions as well.
Dr. Jaimi Paschal, CSUB’s director of academic technologies and grants, is identified as a key figure behind the effort. Her role underscores the university’s interest in positioning the expo as both an educational initiative and a bridge between campus innovation and the wider community.
Why it matters for Bakersfield and the Central Valley
For Bakersfield, the expo highlights how technology issues that may once have seemed distant are becoming increasingly local. Schools, employers, public institutions, and small businesses in the Central Valley are all being pushed to think about how AI could reshape teaching, hiring, productivity, security, and access to information.
That makes the event more than a one-day technology showcase. It represents a local attempt to build familiarity with tools that are already influencing workforce development and decision-making. In a region where education, logistics, agriculture, energy, and public services all play major roles, discussions around AI adoption and safeguards could have long-term implications for how organizations train workers and modernize operations.
Broader significance for technology
The expo also speaks to a larger trend in technology: AI is becoming an infrastructure issue, not just a software trend. Institutions now have to think about implementation, ethics, governance, and digital safety at the same time. By creating a public event that addresses all of those themes together, CSUB is framing AI as something that communities should understand collectively rather than leave solely to technical specialists.
Because the event is free and open to the public, it also lowers barriers to entry for people who may be curious about AI but do not work directly in the technology sector. That accessibility could help broaden participation in a conversation that is increasingly shaping education systems, business practices, and cybersecurity planning throughout the region.
Central Valley AI is produced by the CVAI Education Desk team and developed by Kaweah Tech, a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.