HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Tech leaders, educators and students wrapped up a three-day global conference this week designed to prepare the next generation for an AI world.

Innovation begins with a spark, and at this year’s Swell conference at La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls, it happens to be an interactive animated dog character called Spark Lingonberry.

Students asked questions and talked to the virtual dog, who remembers names, tells jokes and asks his own questions.

Spark was launched a few months ago by a company called The Illusion of Life, and while Spark still has a few kinks to work out, like delayed responses and missed nuances, the experience showcases what the Swell summit celebrates: technology led by human interaction.

“How can we make it more usable, useful, and more

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