Great Lakes AI Week 2026 is coming to Northwest Ohio November 10–12, with programming split between Bowling Green State University and The University of Toledo, UToledo announced Monday. The three-day event focuses on practical, real-world applications of artificial intelligence and will bring together business, technology and community leaders from across the region.
Students will hear from executives, founders and hiring managers from across the Midwest, take part in hands-on workshops and make connections that can shape their careers, the university said. Grace Bochenek, UToledo’s vice president of research and innovation and one of the event’s speakers, framed the week as a direct bridge between the classroom and the region’s employers.
“Every employer our students will interview with is working out what AI means for their business right now. Great Lakes AI Week puts them in the room while they grapple with those questions,” Bochenek said. “Employers are looking for graduates who can think critically about AI and use it well, and this is a chance to walk away with connections and skills that employers are asking for right now.”
Great Lakes AI Week is described as the Midwest’s largest AI leadership summit and is produced by the Enterprise Technology Association. Hosting duties split between Toledo and Bowling Green put both of Northwest Ohio’s public universities at the center of the program, with sessions on both campuses over the three days.
The conference also offers attendees a chance to earn professional AI credentials at no cost through the AI Ready Ohio certification initiative, powered by JobsOhio and the Enterprise Technology Association. Attendees earn credit hours toward AI Ready Ohio certificates for attending qualifying sessions, and they can also learn online with approved training partners, with hours earned stacking together toward the certificates.
For Northwest Ohio workers and students weighing how AI will change their fields, the no-cost credential path is the most concrete takeaway: qualifying sessions attended in person count the same as approved online learning toward the same certificates. Registration and ticket information are available through the Great Lakes AI Week 2026 site linked from UToledo’s announcement.
The November 10–12 run gives the region a three-day window to put students, founders and hiring managers in the same rooms. UToledo’s announcement directs readers to the event site to reserve tickets and review the session lineup as it is posted.
Photo: MrJacon000, CC BY-SA 4.0