Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and wife Autumn ’94 visit Furman University

Furman University hosted Axios CEO and Co-Founder Jim VandeHei and his wife, The Zotheka Foundation President and Co-Founder Autumn Hanna VandeHei ’94 for a discussion with students about the future of artificial intelligence.

Jim, who was also co-founder of POLITICO, led a discussion with students at a Cultural Life Program and the On Discourse signature event, “The Big Picture: Democracy’s Future in the Age of AI.” Autumn, a former social worker and member of the Furman Alumni Board, came as the keynote speaker at A Day for Women, a two-day conference starting Feb. 27 hosted by the USC School of Medicine Greenville and presented in partnership with FurmanWIN and the Prisma Health-Upstate Foundation.

Students ask questions about AI’s impact on business and government to Jim VandeHei during an On Discourse CLP. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

AI in the Classroom and Beyond

Ahead of the CLP discussion Jim VandeHei led on Friday, he dropped in on a few classes to discuss AI developments and get insights from Furman’s students.

“Their opinions run the spectrum: Some are enthusiastically using it, others hate and fear it, but it’s clear that in every class it’s a hot topic of conversation,” he said.

No matter what field they go into, they’re inevitably going to interface with AI, he said. He encouraged them to play with the available tools and learn what they are capable of, to see how AI can be a “force multiplier for their work.”

During Thursday’s CLP, VandeHei said he’s seen firsthand how the largest companies in America and the federal government are eager to leverage AI technology. Students asked about AI’s environmental and economic impact, how it might affect certain career fields and whether AI could live up to the hype it has received.

While VandeHei said it’s healthy to maintain some skepticism, he is an optimist about AI – he encourages his staff to use it . As employers seek to bolster their team’s efforts with AI, it’s a tool students will have to be familiar and flexible with as they start their own careers.

“You don’t have the luxury of being a Luddite,” he said. “It would be like coming into a job interview and saying you’re not going to use the telephone or the computer.”

Furman Alumna Offers Advice

Autumn Hanna VandeHei ’94 attended an On Dicourse CLP where her husband Jim VandeHei, co-founder and CEO of Axios, was the featured speaker. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Autumn VandeHei flew into Greenville on Feb. 26 ahead of Jim’s appearance at the CLP event in Hartness Pavilion on campus. She said she was excited to see some of her friends from college during her visit to her alma mater. She was eager to connect with other women at her A Day for Women keynote presentation, sharing her personal journey through chronic illness and self-advocacy.

“I’m happy to have the opportunity to share what I’ve learned about advocating for yourself, as well as the issues that need to be addressed with data-driven solutions,” she said.

For more than two decades she has been an advocate through work in the federal government and nonprofit organizations. Through The Zotheka Foundation she oversees scholarships and mentorship for students seeking higher education. She was deputy assistant secretary for legislation in the Department of Health and Human Services during George W. Bush’s presidency, and a victim advocate for the Anglican Church.

For students who want to make a difference in their communities, she suggested they start by volunteering. It helps young people find their passions and build community through their work.

“Find something once a week, commit yourself to it, and keep doing it until it’s a habit,” she said.