Ganderbal, Jun 17: As a prelude to the International Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence (2AI–2026), scheduled from June 18–19, 2026, Department of Information Technology, Central University of Kashmir (CUKashmir), in collaboration University of South Dakota, AI Research Lab, USA, partnered by Springer and CCIS, organized a pre-conference workshop on Artificial Intelligence at the Tulmulla Campus, here on Wednesday.   Addressing the participants, Dean Academic Affairs, Prof. Shahid Rasool, described Artificial Intelligence as “the elephant in the room” that can no longer be ignored, noting that AI has already become an integral part of modern life and education.