Princeton’s “NJ AI Summit” welcomed a slew of experts and other speakers on campus Thursday to explore and predict how artificial intelligence would shape the future. Leading among them was Microsoft President Brad Smith, a 1981 Princeton graduate who compared AI’s potential impact to that of the printing press.

“We are the first generation of humans to create machines that can make decisions that have always been made by people,” he said. “We need to ensure that we don’t let the future down.”

Thursday’s summit was also a celebration of the upcoming launch of the Artificial Intelligence Hub at Princeton, a research and innovation center first announced late last year. “This hub presents an extraordinary opportunity for us to come together to make bold investments that will positively impact the region and the state as well as the nation and the world,” said Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber.

“We are a state that has cultivated one of the most talented workforces in the entire world,” added Governor Phil Murphy, one of the day’s highlighted speakers. “We have in New Jersey, more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. And we are a state that has an unparalleled track record when it comes to unleashing game-changing inventions.”