Know what
better means.
John’s session connected useful examples, thoughtful graders, and repeatable tests to a clearer picture of AI performance.
Next gathering · November 18, 2026Local AI
Showcase.
See what people in our community are doing with AI. Join us at Pulaski Tech to meet the people behind the projects, hear what they’re learning, and ask your questions.
Come curious. You don’t need a project or technical experience.
- When
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CST - Where
- Pulaski Tech · Grand Hall
3000 West Scenic Drive
North Little Rock, AR 72118 - What
- Local projects, questions,
and conversation
Networking starts at 5:30 PM.
Want to share your work? Apply to present.
Rooted in Central Arkansas.Open minds. Real people. Shared momentum.
A huge thank-you
Phil, that was
incredible.
Multiple live demos. His iPhone screen shared right inside a live demo.
And it ALL worked.
A huge thank-you to Phil Brandon of Rock Town Distillery for an unforgettable AI, Distilled presentation. You put so much into this evening, and it showed.
Thank you for sharing what you’ve built and showing us how it works, live and in the room. And thank you to everyone who joined us.
Curiosity brings us together
AI is moving fast.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
A community for people curious about AI and what it means for our work, our lives, and our shared future.
Meet the people asking good questions, trying new things, and helping Arkansas move forward.
Meet the community
Coming up November 18
See what people here
are doing with AI.
See local projects
Workplace applications, research, creative experiments, and work in progress from people in our community.
Ask the people building them
Hear what they’ve tried, what they’ve learned, and where they could use some help. This is a showcase, not a competition.
Have something to share?
Individuals and teams can apply to present. Your project doesn’t need to be finished.
Apply for consideration
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM CST
Pulaski Tech · Grand Hall
Attendee registration and presenter applications are separate.
Parking & arrival
Meet us in
the Grand Hall.
Grand Hall, Campus Center
University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, Main Campus
3000 West Scenic Drive, North Little Rock, AR 72118
Park in the lot immediately behind the Campus Center, the three-story building with the clock tower. Pass the main campus entrance, take the next right, then turn right again into campus and park behind the building.
Get directions to Pulaski TechFrom the archive · September 30, 2026
UA Little Rock, ArkansasBigger possibilities.
Better questions.
AI in Production brought practical ambition and thoughtful testing into the same room.
John McCrary of Ouachita Labs explored how to evaluate AI systems. Owen Parker and Kurtis Cochran of Arkana Laboratories looked beyond efficiency to the possibilities of rebuilding core processes.
Thank you to Matmon, UA Little Rock, Arkana Laboratories, our speakers, and everyone who joined us. Special thanks to UA Little Rock for hosting.
A few things worth carrying forward
Know what
Look beyond
time savings.
Arkana’s presentation asked what becomes possible when teams rethink the process, rather than simply speed it up.
Test carefully.
Build with intention.
A promising experiment and a production-ready system are different milestones. Human judgment matters at every step.
What’s emerging
Less noise.
More useful
questions.
The conversations we want to keep having.
Not another list of tools to keep up with. A few human-centered starting points for making sense of AI together.
Suggest a topic
From pilot to practice
What makes AI useful beyond the demo?
The workflows, decisions, and small experiments that help turn an interesting tool into something people can use.
People at the center
How do we make room for everyone?
New skills, shared learning, and the human judgment that matters as AI becomes part of everyday work.
Responsible by design
What does trust look like in practice?
Clear boundaries, thoughtful questions, and a community willing to talk about both the possibilities and the tradeoffs.
Ways to get involved
There’s a place
for you here.
Bring your curiosity. Share your experience. Help the next conversation happen.
Join the conversation
Join us November 18 at Pulaski Tech’s Grand Hall. See what people here are building with AI, ask questions, and meet others who are trying things out.
Reserve your spotShare what you are learning
Bring a useful experiment, an honest lesson, or a project others can learn from. You do not need a polished success story.
Start a speaker conversationHelp make it possible
Interested in sponsoring, volunteering, or connecting the community with a new opportunity? Let’s talk about a good fit.
Explore ways to helpCommunity proof
Real people.
A growing conversation.
From the room at UA Little Rock to local news coverage, this is a community you can see and be part of.
In the news · KATV
Little Rock’s new hub for tech enthusiasts.
Read the coverageBuilt around people
A room full of different perspectives.
A shared interest in what’s next.
Students. Educators. Creatives. Business leaders. Developers. The simply curious.
Follow the community on LinkedInMoments from the community
From our meetup archive
Good people. Shared possibility.
Our community sponsors
Thank you to Matmon, UA Little Rock, and Arkana Laboratories for supporting AI InTheRock and helping our community keep learning together.
- Matmon
- UA Little Rock
- Arkana Laboratories
Stay connected
Your next good
conversation
starts here.
Be part of a community learning out loud. Hear about gatherings, share an idea, or tell us how you would like to get involved.
Find us on LinkedInWe’d love to hear from you
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re curious about.