Brian Peret, AI Salon St. Pete/ Tampa and Codeboxx Academy Director speaking to attendees at one of the AI Salon gatherings. Photo taken by Aron Bryce, courtesy of Ai salon Facebook Group
AI Salon St. Petersburg is a local chapter of a global AI community focused on conversations around how artificial intelligence is shaping work and business. The chapter is led by Nicolas Genest, CEO and founder of CodeBoxx, and Brian Peret, Director of CodeBoxx Academy, with support from CodeBoxx and the Tampa Bay Innovation Center. The goal is to create a consistent space where Tampa Bay leaders can share how AI is being used across industries.
While AI Salon highlights how local leaders are coming together around emerging technology, the conversation around artificial intelligence in Tampa Bay extends far beyond a single event, touching workplaces, classrooms, and Tampa Bay’s broader economic trajectory.
A Brookings Institution analysis ranks the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater area as 36th overall in AI readiness, and places it in the “Emerging Centers” cluster. The Tampa Bay Area is one of 14 nationwide regions seeing strong growth in AI job postings and innovation, with an 88 percent increase in AI job postings. Brookings also places Tampa Bay in the top 25 percent of metros for AI talent and AI adoption, with innovation capacity in the middle tier nationally.
That momentum is reflected in the area’s growing tech economy. Tampa Bay is expected to add more than 3,700 tech jobs by 2027, about 14 percent growth, according to data from Chmura JobsEQ and the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. The number of IT-related businesses in the area increased from nearly 13,400 in 2017 to almost 17,000 by 2021.
For Peret, AI Salon is designed to move people beyond theory and into application. “We act as a vital access point for the curious to take tangible next steps in their professional careers with artificial intelligence,” he said. “We’re helping our community sort real value from hype and build sustainable businesses locally, instead of watching this market develop elsewhere.”
He said those conversations are already changing how companies move. “In just a few meetings, AI Salon has become the place where founders stress-test their ideas,” Peret said. “That kind of friction saves time, capital, and helps create a more competitive local market.”
Genest said the urgency around AI adoption is tied to how quickly the technology is reshaping work. “AI is transforming our lives and our workforce faster than ever,” he said. “It’s important that people here have a voice in that global conversation, so they can benefit from these tools rather than fall behind.”
With AI increasingly shaping how organizations operate, Genest said the technology presents an opportunity to strengthen the workforce already in place. “AI makes workers more capable and productive,” he said. “When busy work is automated, people have more bandwidth to innovate and improve the quality of what they deliver.”
As AI becomes more integrated across industries, Tampa Bay’s expanding role in the AI economy points to new opportunities for businesses and workers alike. What comes next will depend on how intentionally the region builds the skills, partnerships, and infrastructure needed to keep pace with a rapidly changing tech landscape.
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More Photos.
Brian Peret (center) with guest speakers Nithesh Gudipuri, Associate Director of Technology- Raymond James (left) and John Adams, SVP of AI Architecture-Video Amp, (right) at the February 4 meet up. Photo taken by Aron Bryce, courtesy of Ai salon Facebook Group
Nicolas Genest speaking to AI salon attendees. Photo taken by Aron Bryce, courtesy of Ai salon Facebook Group
