WASHINGTON AI NETWORK ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL AI HONORS

The June 3 Gala to Celebrate Leadership at the Nexus of Innovation, Policy, and Research in AI

Honorees Include Senator Todd Young, Congressmen Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu, Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, SandboxAQ CEO Jack Hidary, and the Vatican's Adviser on AI Ethics

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington AI Network will host the inaugural AI Honors – Washington's first official black-tie gala celebrating the promise, power, and people of artificial intelligence – on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The event, to be held in the ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue, will bring together influential voices in AI, from policymakers and senior officials to tech executives, researchers, and global thought leaders.

Happening alongside the 2025 SCSP AI+ Expo, which attracted more than 13,000 attendees in 2024, the AI Honors will highlight the progress of AI and its transformative impact and showcase America's leadership. The awards ceremony will recognize the groundbreaking individuals and organizations propelling AI technology into the future.

Honorees include:

• Co-chair of the Senate AI working group Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), recipient of the AI Impact in Governance Award
• Co-chairs of the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Congressmen Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), recipients of the Bipartisan Leadership on AI Award
• Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, recipient of the Guardian of America Award
• Jack Hidary, CEO, SandboxAQ, recipient of the AI Visionary Award
• Patricia K. Falcone, Ph.D., deputy director for science and technology at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, recipient of the AI Honors in Public Science Award
• Father Paolo Benanti, the Vatican's official adviser on AI ethics, recipient of the Ethics in Artificial Intelligence Award

AI Honors sponsors include Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, IBM, AMD, TikTok, Salesforce, ScaleAI, Bloomberg, LinkedIn, Booking Holdings, Uber, General Catalyst Institute, RhinoAI, NobleReach Foundation, Flex Association, Silverado Accelerator, GlobalWIN, among others.

"This is a pivotal moment for AI and for American competitiveness," said Tammy Haddad, founder of the Washington AI Network. "The AI Honors are designed to recognize the people and ideas driving meaningful progress—and to connect leaders from across the ecosystem in a setting worthy of the moment."

The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts recently awarded two 2025 Communicator Awards to the Washington AI Network podcast, cementing its reputation as a leading forum for conversations about artificial intelligence.

For tickets and more information, visit www.aihonors.us.

About Washington AI Network
Launched in July 2023 in response to the increasing public attention on American artificial intelligence (AI), the Washington AI Network is a dynamic bipartisan forum that brings together diverse stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and development and deployment of AI technologies. Our mission is to serve as an inclusive hub for educating and facilitating progress on AI, from innovation to governance.

The Washington AI Network is powered by Haddad Media. The Washington AI Network podcast is hosted by media veteran and Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, produced and recorded by Haddad Media. It is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Audioboom).

About Tammy Haddad
Based in Washington, D.C., Tammy Haddad is widely recognized for devising winning strategies for some of the world's top media brands, technology disruptors, startups, and nonprofits, and for founding a number of media brands, including Washington AI Network, WHCInsider, and Washington Women Technology Network. She previously hosted the Cone of Silence podcast, the cable television show, The First Producer's Club, and co-hosted Bloomberg's Masters in Politics podcast. A veteran television executive, she is the former vice president and political director of MSNBC and executive producer of Hardball with Chris Matthews, Larry King Live, senior broadcast producer of The Today Show, and The Late Late Show. Haddad is the recipient of two John Foster Peabody Awards and a Gracie.

Contact: [email protected]
Website: www.aihonors.us

SOURCE Washington AI Network