Community development and planning professionals looking for a practical introduction to generative artificial intelligence can attend an upcoming Penn State Extension land-use webinar — regardless of prior experience with AI.

James Ladlee, Penn State Extension state program leader for emerging and advanced technology, and John Turack, community and economic development extension program specialist, will speak at the webinar occurring at noon on Nov. 19.

Generative AI is rapidly transforming how organizations communicate, plan and engage, organizers noted.

Participants will gain a clear understanding of what generative AI is and isn’t, explore real world examples of how it can support everyday tasks, such as drafting content or creating visuals, and learn simple tools and prompt writing strategies to help them get started or enhance their current skills.

The session will emphasize the ethical and responsible use of AI, highlight both its opportunities and limitations, and stress the importance of keeping human judgment central to the AI conversation. Attendees will leave with practical ideas they can apply immediately in their work.

The webinar is part of Penn State Extension’s Summer/Fall Land-Use Webinar Series, which is aimed at helping community leaders navigate land-use challenges, with topics ranging from small farm economics and green infrastructure to solar development trends and artificial intelligence in planning. The series began Aug. 6 and runs monthly through November.

Registration is required to receive the link to access each webinar.

For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for a fee per session.

For more information, contact John Turack at 724-837-1402 or by email at jdt15@psu.edu. To register for the webinar, visit the https://extension.psu.edu/land-use-webinar.