During the last week of April, the AI Safety Awareness Project (AISAP) brought AI Safety Week to Hawaiʻi, hosting workshops and conversations across Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Kauaʻi focused on online safety, scams, privacy, healthcare, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
Over the course of the week, more than 20 sessions were held across the state, bringing together community members, educators, healthcare professionals, government leaders, libraries, nonprofit organizations, and technology partners for important conversations about Hawaiʻi’s digital future.
The Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center (PBTRC) was honored to partner in this statewide effort and help bring the workshops to Hawaiʻi Island alongside the Hawaiʻi Broadband Office.
Hosted at the Aupuni Conference Center in Hilo, the Hawaiʻi Island event welcomed kūpuna, community members, educators, healthcare professionals, and local residents for a full day of learning and conversation. Mahalo to the County of Hawaiʻi Office of Aging and the Mayor’s Office for generously providing the space for the event.
Workshop sessions included:
• AI for Kūpuna: Protect Yourself from AI Scams and Fraud
• Where is AI in 2026 and Where is it Going?
• Data Privacy in the Era of AI
Special mahalo to Noah and Madeline from the AI Safety Awareness Project for leading thoughtful, engaging workshops and helping make these important conversations accessible and approachable for our communities.
Community support also played a huge role in making the Hilo event such a success. Mahalo to Hawaiʻi Literacy for providing a financial donation to support food for attendees, and a heartfelt thank you to Ron and Doreen Kodani for preparing and providing the delicious meals shared throughout the day.
Their generosity helped create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere for everyone who attended.
Big thank you as well to Jaffer from the Tech Savvy Teens for providing tech support and assistance during the catered lunch hour in Hilo and helping community members feel more comfortable navigating technology questions in a welcoming environment.
AI Safety Symposium: Bringing the Islands Together
The week concluded on Oʻahu with the statewide AI Safety Symposium, bringing together local and national leaders, healthcare organizations, libraries, educators, government agencies, community organizations, and technology partners for a day of workshops, networking, and conversations about Hawaiʻi’s future in technology, healthcare, and digital safety.
Mahalo to Nam and the entire team at the Entrepreneurs Sandbox and COHUB coworking space in Honolulu for generously providing the symposium space and helping create such an incredible environment for statewide collaboration and conversation.
PBTRC was honored to host the “AI in Healthcare” workshop and panel discussion featuring:
• Jason Lum, HMSA
• Dr. James Lin, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health
• Cody Barwig, Elsevier
The discussion explored how emerging technologies are beginning to shape healthcare systems, patient engagement, workforce development, and clinical support tools, while also emphasizing the importance of safety, ethics, accessibility, and maintaining human-centered care.
The symposium also featured leaders from the State of Hawaiʻi, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi Broadband Office, Hawaiʻi State Public Library System, and many other organizations helping shape conversations around innovation, policy, and digital safety across the state.
Special thanks to DRFortress, ISC2 Hawaiʻi, HIMSS Hawaiʻi-Alaska Chapter, and Hawaiʻi Literacy for helping support this statewide effort, and mahalo to all sponsors, speakers, trainers, volunteers, and community partners who helped make AI Safety Week Hawaiʻi possible.
As technology continues to evolve, PBTRC remains committed to helping Hawaiʻi communities stay informed, connected, and included in these important conversations. AI Safety Week created space for learning, collaboration, and community-centered education rooted in trust, accessibility, and care.
Now the conversation continues, turning these discussions into action for our communities across Hawaiʻi.