Editor's note: The PEARC23 conference experienced a mix-up with the Day 1 and Day 2 reports, but both reports have now been posted. Ken Chiacchia of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center is thanked for his excellent reports. During the first plenary session, presenters emphasized the importance of creating user-friendly AI-based solutions for solving global and local problems. The PEARC conference series provides a platform for participants in the research computing community to discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions. The theme of PEARC23 is "Computing for the Common Good. " D. K. Panda of Ohio State University highlighted the need for accessible AI technologies by bridging the gap between AI capabilities and non-technical users.

To achieve this, Panda suggested rethinking workflows to include cloud and edge applications that use plain-language queries for user-friendly solutions. Panda also discussed use cases being explored as part of the ICICLE project, which aims to leverage AI for digital agriculture, animal ecology, and smart food distribution. The goal is to address the urgent need for efficient and sustainable food production in the face of a growing population. Suzanne Pierce of the Texas Advanced Computing Center focused on the importance of involving local communities and end users in decision-making processes. She emphasized the need for collaboration and co-design with stakeholders to ensure that solutions are contextually relevant and sustainable. Pierce shared examples of projects that utilized data fusion and AI-enabled models to address flooding and infectious disease outbreaks. Overall, both presenters highlighted the significance of user-friendly AI solutions and community engagement for addressing global and local challenges.