We sat down with Spencer Dore to discuss his time at CECS, current pursuits, and future plans.
What interested you about CECS?
“I actually stumbled into CECS accidentally. I was basically trying to find an elective course and found AI 101. I was aware that AI was and is still becoming a more impactful part of everyday life. I was already using ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, and I was just curious about where the technology was going.”
What is your major? And why did you choose an Applied AI Minor?
“I am a Business Management major. I came into the AI 101 class without a lot of background about AI or what ‘goes on under the hood’. I really enjoyed the hands-on aspect and the capabilities of AI that you don’t really see just using ChatGPT.
I also wanted to understand how these systems are made and their limitations.”
“I thought [pursuing a minor in AI] was a terrific opportunity to gain experience and knowledge in something that I knew would be impactful in my life. I was really passionate about getting education that I knew would be integral going forward.”
What is your favorite part about being a CECS student?
“Dr. Hurban’s class got invited to Oak Ridge National Laboratory to see some of the ways they are looking to the future on augmented and virtual reality technologies. We got to demonstrate how they use VR and AR to train nuclear engineers on how the equipment in the lab works. Basically, it’s expensive to run the equipment and can be dangerous for the engineers to practice or get initial training with live nuclear material. They are prioritizing advancements in AR/VR, so their engineers can essentially build total muscle memory virtually and then basically have experience without any of the risk.”
If you could other students one thing about CECS/our courses, what would it be?
“It’s a terrific opportunity to truly understand how these chatbots that we interact with on a daily basis actually work. [My courses] have really benefited my ability to understand the limitations of those technologies. I think understanding the way these systems really work behind the scenes has enabled me to make the most of the way that I’m interacting with the technology.”
What do you hope to do after graduation?
“I’m heavily involved with the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. So, after graduation, I plan to work full-time for a company that we founded this year.”
Tell me about your company.
“The company is called New Horizon Precision, and it was initially founded through a startup studio which is a summer program through the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. It’s an agricultural drone service company. We use autonomous drones to apply chemicals like a crop duster.”
“We have used a lot of AI throughout the process. Not just for the website and things like that, but also with the drones because they are completely autonomous. There’s also a lot of advanced field analytics that we’re able to do with the drones.”
“CECS gave me the background to, not just interact with LLMs and chatbots, like ChatGPT, but also to start building databases using this drone technology that we’re deploying on farms in Tennessee right now.”
Spencer and his business partner, Matthew Jones, recently earned top recognition at Vol Court, the pitch competition hosted by the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for New Horizon Precision.
The win highlights Spencer’s commitment to entrepreneurship and applying AI-driven technology to create real-world impact. Read more here!
Do you have any other information you want to share?
“Yeah! Our company uses an F-250 that almost acts like a mobile aircraft carrier. We drive to each farm, and then the drones go and apply the chemical to the crops in the field. [Our company] is post-revenue. We’ve already signed a contract with Knoxville Farmers Co-Op to do all their aerial application!”