Washington AI Network Hosts AI Honors Gala, Honors Seven American Leaders in Artificial Intelligence

Washington AI Network Hosts AI Honors Gala, Honors Seven American Leaders in Artificial Intelligence

Releases New Survey Findings on AI, Revealing a Sharp Divide Between Heavy AI Users and the General Public

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington AI Network's second annual AI Honors, Washington's only black-tie AI gala, drew more than 400 leaders from government, tech, and academia last night to honor seven Americans shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI), with new polling showing that the technology is already reshaping how ordinary Americans make their most consequential decisions.

Here are the 2026 AI Honors Awardees

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) accepted the Bipartisan Leadership on AI Award presented by actor Michael Kelly

Entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary—a.k.a. Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful—(video interview) received the AI Global Ambassador Award from Ireland's Ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason

NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky received the Founder's Education Accelerator Award from CNN anchor Pamela Brown

Omidyar CEO Michele Jawando (video interview) was presented the Civic Technology Leadership Award by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser

Major General Patrick J. Ellis, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, received the AI Leadership Award from Army Secretary Dan Driscoll

Dr. Katherine (Kathy) Yelick (video interview) received the Public Science Award from Dr. Darío Gil who serves as both the Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Director of the Genesis Mission

The evening featured remarks by the newly appointed papal nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia; NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky; Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary.

"This gathering itself represents something that Pope Leo calls for in his recent encyclical entitled Magnifica Humanitas, a shared document involving many sectors of society. The future of this technology cannot be guided by one field alone. It needs science and policy, business and public service, ethics and faith," said Archbishop Gabriele Caccia. "From the beginning, at every stage, the development and application of artificial intelligence must be guided by the dignity of the human person and by the common good of the human family."

"Energy is what drives progress. It's what drives innovation. It's what lifts people's standard of living up. We need to get our act together with electricity," said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. "We've tripled our oil production, doubled our natural gas production — but energy in the form of electricity, we've barely grown in twenty years. We do not want to hold back this technology or push this technology overseas by not delivering the electricity."