The AI Chapter That’s Bringing Community Back to St. Pete/Tampa Bay

When AI comes to mind, what’s often the main factor you think of? Is it the fast generation? The ability to analyze data seamlessly? The innovative upgrades? How about the impact on the community?

If you considered the last attribute, then you’re in the right place. In today’s AI era, it is not always about the latest and greatest capabilities that make AI what it is. In reality, it is about AI’s contribution to overall society, and how we, as a community, choose to live alongside it.

That’s why the rise of founding sponsors behind renowned AI-chapters have recently come into play. When a local AI developer has the opportunity to support AI innovation in the region, the impact is not just assuring, it’s immensely hopeful for the future of AI.

That exact idea took shape last month when CodeBoxx, a technology and software company, helped launch the AI Salon St. Pete/Tampa Bay Chapter as a founding sponsor. The new chapter joins a global network that already includes cities like Miami, Nashville, and Atlanta—each designed to bring together AI experts to define the next wave of AI.

“CodeBoxx is beyond excited to kickstart this sponsorship,” Nicolas Genest says, CEO and Founder of CodeBoxx. “This collaboration with AI Salon is all about investing in the people and ideas that will shape the future of AI in the region. Our ongoing support reflects our belief that innovation flourishes when great minds come together in a shared purpose.”

This move comes at a time when the AI market is at record highs. According to a Pew Research Center survey released earlier this year, 52% of U.S. workers say they are worried about AI’s impact on the future of work, while just 16% say they currently use AI in their jobs. 

Those numbers are why initiatives like the AI Salon chapter matter. The more AI becomes embedded in the community, the less fearful and hesitant it becomes in the workplace. And because of founding sponsors like CodeBoxx, they are able to bridge that knowledge gap.

Brian Peret, Director of CodeBoxx Academy, weighs in on this: “It’s not often you see a founding sponsor deeply passionate about efforts like this. Our sponsorship means the AI conversations won’t stop here, but instead they’ll evolve, empowering individuals who want to embrace the next wave of innovation in the city.”

By implementing region-specific AI salon chapters, founding sponsors get the opportunity to share AI news, refine opportunity, and advance the tech space further. By collaborating with professionals of all backgrounds, the St. Pete/Tampa Bay chapter will ideally rethink the future of AI both locally and globally.

The St. Pete/Tampa Bay chapter kicked off at an in-person event in October, where attendees could network, express ideas together, and discuss what’s next in the industry. Under CodeBoxx’s support, the chapter will continue hosting events and addressing challenges throughout the year in hopes of transforming the field of AI.

For the state of Florida, this type of partnership is especially profound. In an area that has been building its technological identity for the past decade, establishing a chapter in St. Pete/Tampa Bay signals the leading innovation that is soon to come.

At the heart of it all, AI Salon exists to give AI experts the chance to step in and build a more meaningful space. While CodeBoxx is just getting started in its own local area, the company is offering a forward-looking approach to what AI could bring to regional citizens, businesses, and families everywhere.

So let’s think about this again: what’s your take on AI? Are you following it for the innovation it brings? Or its undeniable potential? Or its measurable results?

Thanks to CodeBoxx, maybe your stance on AI looks like community now. Because with this new AI Salon chapter, now everyone will get to be part of the conversation, driving AI influence that will change St. Pete/Tampa Bay for good.