Image courtesy of PRINTING United Alliance

The PRINTING AI Pavilion was a popular destination at this year’s PRINTING United Expo in Orlando, Florida, featuring hands-on demonstrations, micro-sessions, and resources designed to showcase how AI is transforming the print industry.

With the rise of AI adoption and many printers not knowing exactly where to start, PRINTING United Alliance saw the need to support its members and the industry by creating the PRINTING AI brand—a comprehensive suite of solutions and consulting services designed to provide some clarity. Leading the charge is the Alliance’s newly appointed Vice President of Consulting – Applied AI & Printing Technology, Amy Servi-Bonner, who offered insight to printers on how to own their data and processes throughout the show.

On Thursday, October 23, Amy held an educational session titled “Stop Feeding the Machine: Why Owning Your AI is the Only Safe Play,” where she elaborated on how PRINTING AI Consulting Services can help print and packaging companies move past AI software demos and build AI systems that learn and deliver measurable ROI in weeks, not years.

To further discuss this hot topic, Amy sat down with Kalie VanDewater, associate content and online editor for the PRINTING United Alliance Media Brands on the Impressions Xchange podcast to point out some of the challenges print service providers (PSPs) are facing when exploring AI and some of the most common misconceptions.

When asked where our industry currently stands with AI adoption, Amy noted that we’re still in that “awkward middle school phase” – we’re curious, some people are experimenting, but we’re not quite confident yet.

According to Amy, some of the biggest challenges PSPs are facing when it comes to getting started in AI is looking at the technology as a product instead of a process, training subscription-based AI tools on their company’s data, and how to leverage AI as a mindset shift.

She warns those who are cautious to embrace AI due to the threat of the technology replacing their job, saying “It won’t replace people, but it will replace people who don’t use AI. It’s about augmentation, not elimination.”

Women in Print Alliance also had a presence in the PRINTING AI Pavilion, holding exclusive member tours of the new Expo feature throughout the show, where women were able to engage with sponsors, explore curated educational content, and check out the “AI Wall”—a visual guide to every AI-focused technology on display across the Expo.

The PRINTING AI Pavilion will return to PRINTING United Expo in 2026. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to the PRINTING AI newsletter for all the latest on AI tools, insights, and strategies.