AI for All

What does artificial intelligence look like in the real world? For some, it’s synonymous with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. For others, it’s the stuff of robots, algorithms and futuristic technologies that feel distant from everyday life.

For Rice Business alumni, AI isn’t confined to Silicon Valley or the buzz surrounding large language models (LLMs). Instead, it’s a hands-on way to solve pressing challenges and enhance human capabilities in industries that touch our everyday lives. Rice Business grads are transforming how doctors interact with patients, how tradespeople run diagnostics and how classrooms operate — proving that AI is already transforming life and work in meaningful ways.

Here, we spotlight a few of these innovators. Their work isn’t about innovation for its own sake — it’s about creating solutions that are accessible, equitable and impactful.

Smarter Tools, Stronger Trades 

Allison Knight ’10 envisions a future where AI doesn’t just revolutionize industries — it empowers the people working within them.

An entrepreneur turned AI innovator, Knight sold her first company to Honeywell in 2019 and was profiled in Forbes the following year. Now, she is uniquely positioned to drive innovation in the blue-collar trades with Alaris. Her company, which launched in beta this January, offers tools designed to help junior technicians become veteran performers. A simple AI sidekick uses SMS to provide the exact info they need, based on the serviced facility’s data — no new apps, no extra training, just answers when they need them.

Why bring AI to the trades? For Knight, artificial intelligence is about more than improving workflows — it’s about leveling the playing field for industries often left behind by advancements in tech. “We need AI to work for everyone,” she says. It’s her mission to make these technologies accessible and practical, equipping workers with smarter tools to enhance, rather than replace, their expertise.

“Imagine a plumber diagnosing a complex system issue in minutes instead of hours,” Knight explains. “With AI-powered tools, they can pinpoint the exact problem, find the best solution and even access step-by-step guidance instantly. It’s about giving tradespeople the resources they need to work more efficiently and confidently, while opening up time for more jobs or a better work-life balance.”

Knight sees a clear connection between innovation and equity. “Making AI accessible isn’t just about the technology,” she says. “When you bring these tools to traditionally overlooked industries, you’re not just improving processes — you’re creating pathways for more people to thrive in their work. These are skilled professionals who deserve the same level of support that’s transformed other sectors.”

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Metrics in Motion 

Imagine this: a high school quarterback practicing on an empty field under the glow of stadium lights. With every throw, every step, his movements are captured by a simple mobile app, analyzed instantly and transformed into personalized coaching insights. Down the road, a weekend golfer at the driving range uses the same technology to refine her swing, tweaking angles and posture in real time.

These moments aren’t just science fiction — they’re snapshots of a future that’s already here. At the forefront of this transformation are Scott Deans ’22 and Jason Bell ’22, co-founders of BeONE Sports (along with former Rice student-athlete James McNaney ’20). BeONE is pioneering the world’s first AI recognition model designed specifically for sports movements, combining advanced analytics with a bold mission: to make elite-level performance insights accessible to athletes everywhere, no matter their skill level or resources.

“Every position, every movement has critical moments,” Deans explains. “Take a quarterback, for instance — understanding their throwing mechanics and footwork can be the difference between a touchdown and an interception.” Using computer vision AI, BeONE pinpoints key aspects of athletic performance, offering personalized insights into how athletes move, train and improve.

BeONE’s mission is clear: democratize access to advanced sports analytics. Deans envisions a world where every athlete, from high school volleyball players to weekend ultimate Frisbee champions, can benefit from data-driven training traditionally reserved for elite teams. “You don’t need a million-dollar training facility anymore,” Deans says. “All you need is a mobile app and a desire to get better.” BeONE’s platform is 100% mobile and entirely visual, empowering users to analyze their movements in real time, whether on the field, in the gym or at home.

BeONE is also addressing a broader issue in sports tech: its siloed nature. “There’s an irony in sports tech — everyone’s playing their own game, but no one’s collaborating,” Deans says. BeONE aims to create systems that integrate with other technologies, fostering a more cohesive ecosystem for athletes and coaches alike. They’ve established partnerships with Rice Athletics, the 2025 Hula Bowl and the United States Air Force.

For Deans and his team, it’s about more than building better athletes. It’s about collaboration, accessibility and showing the versatility of AI in human movement.

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The Future of Learning 

Education has always been about shaping the future — but what if the future could help shape education? For Corey Layne Crouch ’13, this isn’t just a rhetorical question. It’s a call to action.

As the founding chief program officer at AI for Education, Crouch is defining how schools integrate artificial intelligence. Her work is grounded in a belief that AI should enhance education, not overwhelm it. By empowering school leaders, teachers and students to engage with AI in meaningful, ethical and effective ways, she’s ensuring the technology becomes a tool for progress, not just a passing trend.

“AI can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution,” she explains. “Our goal is to provide the knowledge and tools that meet educators where they are, so they can confidently use AI to improve outcomes for their students.”

AI for Education focuses on three core pillars: AI safety, ethics and effectiveness. Through workshops, professional development and tailored consulting, her team equips educators to navigate the complexities of AI while fostering innovation in their classrooms.

For Crouch, accessibility is key. “We’re not just training technologists; we’re building AI literacy for everyone in the education ecosystem,” she says. This includes helping school districts develop AI policies, pilot tools responsibly and implement strategies that align with their unique needs. Her work has already reached hundreds of thousands of educators, sparking meaningful change in classrooms across the country. From teaching educators how to experiment safely with AI tools to equipping students with the critical thinking skills they’ll need in an AI-driven world, Crouch’s mission is deeply human-centered. “Education is about preparing young people for the world they’ll inherit,” she notes. “If we want them to thrive, we have to meet them at the intersection of technology and possibility.”

Crouch isn’t interested in hype or empty promises. Instead, she’s focused on creating practical pathways for educators and students to thrive. For her, AI isn’t just about what’s possible tomorrow — it’s about making a difference in classrooms today.

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Power Shift 

As founder and CEO of AI Driller, Marat Zaripov ’16 is making data more accessible to those on the front lines of oil and gas. His company uses video AI tech to automate reporting, analyze complex datasets, enhance performance and bolster safety in the industry. Since launching in 2017, AI Driller has captured an impressive 20%-30% of the global market, assisting major E&P companies and smaller independents streamline processes and boost efficiency.

Imagine a drilling operation in the Permian Basin of southwest Texas where, traditionally, a team of engineers would need to be on-site, manually monitoring equipment and compiling data into reports. With AI Driller’s platform, all operational data is automatically collected, processed and visualized in real time. If an anomaly occurs during drilling or completions process, the system immediately flags the issue, sends an alert to the engineering team working remotely in office, and provides actionable recommendations based on historical data patterns.

“Our goal is to simplify complex information so it’s actionable for everyone on the site,” Zaripov says, speaking over video chat from nine time zones away, in Saudia Arabia. “Drilling and completions generate an enormous amount of data every second. The challenge isn’t just collecting it — it’s knowing how to use it in real time.”

By automating reports and creating user-friendly interfaces, AI Driller empowers operators and engineers to make quicker, data-driven decisions without being bogged down by technical hurdles. This approach not only improves efficiency but also fosters a culture of innovation across teams and enhances communication, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and can respond swiftly to any issues that arise.

Zaripov knows technology alone isn’t enough — his company’s DNA is all about education and collaboration. “Eighty percent of our time with customers is spent on training them on AI, not selling it. If we want tech to transform the industry, we need to make sure people understand it and feel confident using it,” he explains.

True transformation comes when technology empowers people — and Zaripov believes that confident, informed users are the key to unlocking the future of energy.

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A Doctor’s New Assistant 

In the busy world of health care, every minute counts. For Alissa Milliner ’23, those minutes are better spent with patients than paperwork. As a clinical impact specialist at Ambience Healthcare, Milliner is helping redefine provider-patient interactions with ambient AI, a listening technology that transforms conversations into fully formed visit notes in seconds. By lightening the documentation burden, Milliner’s work allows health care providers, such as doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, to focus on what matters most: patient care.

“One of the biggest challenges in health care is how much of providers’ time is consumed by note-taking and real-time documentation,” Milliner explains. “Our technology changes that. It frees providers to concentrate more on their patients during visits, improving both the care they provide and the overall interaction.”

As a former nurse practitioner, Milliner knows firsthand the strains of excessive documentation processes. “Providers spend hours after shifts completing notes,” she says. “It’s not sustainable, and it takes away from what drew many of us to the profession: helping people.” She recalls a recent case where Ambience’s AI made an immediate impact. “The lead physician was skeptical at first,” she says. “But after just a week, she called it a game-changer. She could finally leave work on time without taking charts home, freeing up hours for her patients and personal life.”

Milliner’s transition to the tech world was fueled by her time at Rice Business. “The MBA gave me the confidence to pivot into a completely different space,” she says. “It wasn’t just about learning business skills — it was about understanding how to translate my health care experience into meaningful innovation.”

Ambience Healthcare specializes in tailored AI solutions for providers across specialties, from oncology to pediatrics. Their platform adapts to unique needs, seamlessly integrating into workflows. Cardiologists, surgeons, family doctors — they all need different kinds of documentation support. “Our technology ensures it serves the specific needs of every user,” Milliner says. To ensure trust, Ambience’s systems are fully HIPAA-compliant. “Data security is nonnegotiable,” Milliner emphasizes. “We meet and exceed industry standards to protect sensitive patient information.”

The work is also about more than provider efficiency — it’s about demystifying AI in the medical field and enhancing human potential. “AI doesn’t have to be scary,” she says. “When used correctly, it makes care more efficient and improves outcomes for everyone involved.” Her work is a testament to how technology, at its best, supports the people who need it most, creating a smarter, more compassionate future.

Can AI Help Make Decisions Without Protected Attributes?

As AI takes on a bigger role in business and policy, one question looms large: Can it predict consumer behavior while being agnostic to consumers’ protected attributes (e.g., race and gender)?

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Professor Piyush Anand’s research suggests the answer is yes. His work explores adversarial AI, a technique that trains models to focus on meaningful factors while ignoring information pertinent to protected attributes like race. The result? Smarter decision-making while safeguarding protected attributes.

Tested in both simulations and real-world data, Anand’s approach outperforms traditional methods, offering businesses and policymakers a way to make data-driven choices in the presence of protected attributes — whether in marketing, education or consumer health care.

As AI continues shaping industries, research like this shows that technology can be both powerful and neutral to protected attributes — if designed with intention.