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Home > Analysis > This Week, The Future of AI and “Accelerated Compute” is in the Mountain West of the USA

Welcome to SIGGRAPH 2024 – The Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (ACM SIGGRAPH) – the premier annual conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques. Over the course of the 1980s and ’90s and the early 2000s – SIGGRAPH was the flashpoint for innovation in visual computational power for motion picture special effects, scientific visualization, and the emergence of the gaming industry, the GUI-based personal computer interface (Read:  Next Computers and Silicon Graphics UNIX workstations, then, yes, Windows ’95) and the internet.   Marc Andreessen and his colleagues launched the NCSA Mosaic browser at this conference, and Nvidia has contributed too numerous to count research papers and seminal product announcements at SIGGRAPH since the company’s launch in 1993.   

Enter Bitcoin and Generative AI – and the happy accident that Nvidia GPU chips innovated – literally and specifically – for SIGGRAPH-esque computational challenges over the last 40 years and are now a perfect fit for the computational demands of not only AI and bitcoin mining, but computer vision, molecular dynamics, quantum computing, self-driving cars, robotics, deep learning, and machine learning.  The annual conference is now firmly positioned for another 40-year run as the best-in-class annual confab for research and development and strategic insights for competitive advantage for your organization on the future of AI, Visual Compute, and Virtual Worlds.

Nvidia credits the SIGGRAPH community with its inception and success, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is always vocal about the fact that “SIGGRAPH is home for us”   So, too, for this writer, who is happy to report that OODA Loop is on the job in Denver at SIGGRAPH 2024 this week.

Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg to Explore the Future of AI and Virtual Worlds at SIGGRAPH 2024

SIGGRAPH 2024 features a rare joint public appearance of NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the 51st annual conference on Monday, 29 July, at 4 pm MDT. This fireside chat will be one of several prominent Keynote Presentations coming to the conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from Sunday, 28 July to Thursday, 1 August, 2024.

Huang and Zuckerberg will discuss the future of AI and simulation and the pivotal role of research at SIGGRAPH, which focuses on the intersection of graphics and technology. The two leaders will consider how fundamental research is enabling AI breakthroughs, and how generative AI and open source will empower developers and creators. They’ll also reflect on the role of generative AI in building virtual worlds, and virtual worlds for building the next wave of AI and robots.

Before the Fireside Chat with Zuckerberg, Huang will also headline a Fireside Chat with WIRED Senior Writer Lauren Goode to discuss AI and graphics for the new computing revolution on Monday, 29 July, at 2:30 pm MDT.

Keynote Presentations

In addition to Huang and Zuckerberg, notable presenters at the conference include Dr. Dava Newman of MIT Media Lab, Dr. Mark Sagar from Soul Machines, and Manu Prakash with Stanford University. From the Microscopic to the Body, Built Environment, City, World, Cosmos, and even unmeasurable concepts like Imagination, the esteemed SIGGRAPH 2024 Keynote Speakers will share their perspectives for building our most desirable technological future on all scales and advancing computer graphics and interactive techniques into the next half century. See the full schedule.

SIGGRAPH 2024 – Programming Preview

Birds of a Feather Generative AI for Graphics, Vision and 3D
Course  An Introduction to Creating Real-time Interactive Computer Graphics Applications
Course Mathematical Optimization in Computer Graphics
TalkThe Sporting Life
leadLEAD Fireside Chat: Fortifying Teams with AI and Optimized Workflow
Birds of a Feather
Mini Entertainment Technology Summit at SIGGRAPH 2024
LabsSupported by NVIDIA Labs Hands-On Class: GPU Performance Analysis Using NVIDIA Nsight Tools
Course An Introduction to Quantum Computing
CourseIntroduction to Generative Machine Learning
Course Visualizing the Invisible Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope
LabsSupported by NVIDIA Labs Hands-On Class: Improving Shader Efficiency Using the NVIDIA Nsight Graphics Shader Profiler
Industry SessionNVIDIA Presents Exploring Foundation Models: The Pillars of AI Advancement
Keynote SpeakerSIGGRAPH 2024 Opening Session & Keynote Speaker: Mark Sagar, Beyond the Illusion of Life
Educator’s Day Session
Substance 3D Education: Inspiring Minds, Designing Futures
LabsSupported by NVIDIA Labs Hands-On Class: How to Build an OpenUSD Configurator Experience for Apple Vision Pro
Frontiers
Frontiers Workshop: Design and Spatial Computing
Talk
Spatial Storytelling in the Newsroom: Reconstructing News Events in 3D
TalkStop the Presses!
CourseVirtual Human Design: Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of GenAI – Part 2
Technical PaperVR, Eye Tracking, Perception
Emerging TechnologiesEmerging Technologies Installations
Immersive PavilionImmersive Pavilion Installations
Talk
Efficient Visibility Reuse for Real-time ReSTIR
Talk
Back in the Eye of the Storm, The Visual Effects of ‘Twisters’
Birds of a Feather
ACM SIGGRAPH Cartographic Visualization Birds of a Feather
Industry SessionNVIDIA Presents Extending Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to Multimodal Documents
Special EventSIGGRAPH for Peace
LabsSupported by NVIDIA Labs Hands-On Class: How to Build an OpenUSD Configurator Experience for Apple Vision Pro (2nd offering)
Birds of a Feather
Exploring the Future of Cloud Virtual Production and Global Virtual Studios in Digital Art
Keynote SpeakerSIGGRAPH 2024 Keynote Speaker: Jensen Huang, NVIDIA CEO Fireside Chat: AI and Graphics for the New Computing Revolution
Production SessionYin and Yang: The Balance of Animation in Kung Fu Panda 4
Keynote SpeakerSIGGRAPH 2024 Keynote Speaker: AI and the Next Computing Platforms With Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg

About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2024

Since its inception in 1974 in Boulder, Colorado, SIGGRAPH has been at the forefront of innovation in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The conference has introduced the world to revolutionary demonstrations, such as the “Aspen Movie Map,” a precursor to Google Street View, and one of the first screenings of Pixar’s “Luxo Jr.”, which redefined the art of animation.

SIGGRAPH remains the leading venue for groundbreaking research in computer graphics. Influential publications that have shaped modern visual culture first debuted at this conference, including Ed Catmull’s 1974 paper on texture mapping, Turner Whitted’s 1980 paper on ray-tracing techniques, and James T. Kajiya’s 1986 paper, “The Rendering Equation.” Innovations first showcased at SIGGRAPH are now transforming industries worldwide.

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world’s leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2024, the 51st annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place live 28 July–1 August at the Colorado Convention Center, along with a Virtual Access option.

For more on SIGGRAPH 2024, go to this link.

https://oodaloop.com/archive/2024/04/03/spatial-ai-is-the-future-of-human-computer-interaction-and-the-metaverse/

Additional OODA Loop Resources

Rise of the Metaverse: The Metaverse, an immersive digital universe, is expected to reshape internet interactions, education, social networking, and entertainment. See Future of the Metaverse.

Technology Convergence and Market Disruption: Rapid technological advancements are changing market dynamics and user expectations. See Disruptive and Exponential Technologies.

The New Tech Trinity: Artificial Intelligence, BioTech, Quantum Tech: Will make monumental shifts in the world. This new Tech Trinity will redefine our economy, both threaten and fortify our national security, and revolutionize our intelligence community. None of us are ready for this. This convergence requires a deepened commitment to foresight and preparation and planning on a level that is not occurring anywhere. The New Tech Trinity.

The Revolution in Biology: This post provides an overview of key thrusts of the transformation underway in biology and offers seven topics business leaders should consider when updating business strategy to optimize opportunity because of these changes. For more, see:  The Executive’s Guide To The Revolution in Biology

AI Discipline Interdependence: There are concerns about uncontrolled AI growth, with many experts calling for robust AI governance. Both positive and negative impacts of AI need assessment. See: Using AI for Competitive Advantage in Business.

Benefits of Automation and New Technology: Automation, AI, robotics, and Robotic Process Automation are improving business efficiency. New sensors, especially quantum ones, are revolutionizing healthcare and national security sectors. Advanced WiFi, cellular, and space-based communication technologies enhance distributed work capabilities. See: Advanced Automation and New Technologies

Materials Science Revolution: Room-temperature ambient pressure superconductors represent a significant innovation. Sustainability gets a boost with reprocessable materials. Energy storage sees innovations in solid-state batteries and advanced supercapacitors. Smart textiles pave the way for health-monitoring and self-healing fabrics. 3D printing materials promise disruptions in various sectors. Perovskites offer versatile applications, from solar power to quantum computing. See: Materials Science

Tagged: AI Meta NVIDIA
Daniel Pereira

About the Author

Daniel Pereira

Daniel Pereira is research director at OODA. He is a foresight strategist, creative technologist, and an information communication technology (ICT) and digital media researcher with 20+ years of experience directing public/private partnerships and strategic innovation initiatives.