{"682007":{"#nid":"682007","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech AI Fest 2025 Showcases National Collaborations, Future of AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe inaugural Tech AI Fest held March 26\u201328 at the Historic Academy of Medicine in Atlanta, brought together more than 40 leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) from academia, government, and industry for three days of panels, keynotes, and networking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeading up to the main event, Tech AI, the AI Hub at Georgia Tech, partnered with OpenAI to host two standout events on March 25: the OpenAI Forum and Sora Shorts. These programs explored the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI and creativity, offering a preview of the transformative work unfolding both at the Institute and across the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOpenAI Academy and Sora Shorts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe OpenAI Academy gave participants hands-on experience with the latest AI tools and methods. The workshop provided a deep dive into how generative AI can be applied across sectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimultaneously, the Sora Shorts series spotlighted creative pioneers integrating AI into storytelling and design. Featured speakers included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Riedl\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech, who discussed the intersection of AI and storytelling and its impact on narrative innovation;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMinne Atairu\u003C\/strong\u003E, AI artist and researcher at Columbia University, who explored generative art and the evolving role of AI in creative disciplines;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMichaela Ternasky-Holland\u003C\/strong\u003E, Emmy Award-winning director, who offered insights into AI\u2019s potential to reshape the future of filmmaking;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENik Kleverov\u003C\/strong\u003E, creative director and entrepreneur, who focused on AI\u0027s capacity to inspire design and entrepreneurship;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEllie Foumbi\u003C\/strong\u003E, filmmaker and member of the Directors Guild of America, who reflected on how AI tools are influencing storytelling and visual production.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGabe Nixon\u003C\/strong\u003E, a fourth-year student at Georgia Tech, shared how these two events quickly reshaped his career ambitions. Initially on a Ph.D. track aiming for NASA, Nixon pivoted toward startups and AI innovation. After attending the OpenAI Academy, he began building his first AI-powered app, TITAN, during Tech AI Fest. Nixon\u0027s experience reflects a broader student interest in harnessing AI to fuel interdisciplinary breakthroughs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHighlights Included:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech AI Fest welcomed AI experts and thought leaders across domains. Speakers included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESen. John Albers\u003C\/strong\u003E, Georgia state senator, who spoke about crafting ethical legislation to govern AI innovation;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManuela Veloso\u003C\/strong\u003E, head of AI research at JPMorganChase and former AI head at Carnegie Mellon University, who discussed AI\u0027s role in finance and interdisciplinary collaboration;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESophia Velastegui\u003C\/strong\u003E, former Microsoft executive, who highlighted AI\u2019s transformative power in solving complex industry problems;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKonstantin Cvetanov\u003C\/strong\u003E, senior solution architect at NVIDIA, leading the adoption of enterprise AI and generative AI solutions across North America;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESrinivas Aluru\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech, who explored AI\u0027s intersection with scientific computing and systems modeling;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESudheer Chava\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech, who discussed machine learning in financial markets and risk management;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EYongsheng Chen\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech, who presented on AI in agriculture;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrank Dellaert\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech and CEO of Verdant Robotics, who shared insights into AI-driven autonomous systems and robotics;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAshok Goel\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech and director of the National Science Foundation \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aialoe.org\/\u0022\u003EAI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education\u003C\/a\u003E (AI-ALOE), who focused on AI for education and personalized learning.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditional speakers included:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVijay Ganesh\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor at Georgia Tech, on real-time machine learning applications;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Joyner\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of the Online Master of Science in Computer Science program at Georgia Tech, on scalable AI-powered personalized education;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKamran Paynabar\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor at Georgia Tech, on AI-enabled optimization in global supply chains;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher J. Rozell\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor at Georgia Tech, on the role of AI in neuroscience and brain modeling;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuresh Marru\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor at Georgia Tech, on AI-enhanced cyberinfrastructure for science;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBob Friday\u003C\/strong\u003E, chief scientist at Juniper Networks, on AI\u0027s impact on networking and cybersecurity;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey Young\u003C\/strong\u003E, principal investigator at Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Scientific Software Engineering, who discussed open-source frameworks and ethical software development for AI.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKeynote: AI as a Global Force\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA standout moment was the keynote from \u003Cstrong\u003EPascal Van Hentenryck\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of Tech AI and professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He emphasized that AI\u0027s true potential lies in collaboration across academia, industry, and government.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is not just a tool \u2014 it\u2019s a revolution,\u201d Van Hentenryck said. \u201cBut for it to be truly transformative, we need to come together as a global community to innovate responsibly. At Georgia Tech, we are proud to be at the forefront of this revolution, driving innovation and solving global challenges.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELooking Ahead: Tech AI Career Fair\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on the success of Tech AI Fest 2025, Tech AI will host a career fair later this year. The event will connect students, professionals, and companies to explore workforce opportunities in AI and emerging technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re excited about the upcoming Career Fair,\u201d said Tim Brown, Tech AI\u2019s Director of Professional Education and organizer of the career fair. \u201cIt will provide a platform for companies to engage with top talent, and for students to discover exciting careers in AI.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Lasting Impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech AI Fest marked a defining moment for Georgia Tech\u2019s role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. From hands-on workshops to thought-provoking discussions on ethics, creativity, and policy, the event created space for new ideas and global partnerships.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Georgia Tech continues to lead in AI research, education, and collaboration, Tech AI Fest demonstrated what\u2019s possible when visionary thinkers come together to build a better, smarter future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about Tech AI and upcoming events, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tech.ai.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Etech.ai.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETech AI Fest 2025 brought together leaders from academia, industry, and government for three days of panels, workshops, and networking focused on the future of artificial intelligence. Held at the Historic Academy of Medicine, the event showcased innovations in generative AI, storytelling, finance, education, and more. With speakers from OpenAI, JPMorganChase, NVIDIA, and Georgia Tech, the festival highlighted AI\u2019s transformative potential across disciplines. A keynote by Tech AI Director Pascal Van Hentenryck emphasized the importance of global collaboration. The event marks a major milestone in Georgia Tech\u2019s growing leadership in AI research, education, and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech AI Fest 2025 brought together leaders from academia, industry, and government for three days of panels, workshops, and networking focused on the future of AI."}],"uid":"36348","created_gmt":"2025-04-24 17:09:39","changed_gmt":"2025-04-24 17:21:11","author":"Breon Martin","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676929":{"id":"676929","type":"image","title":"tech-ai-fest.jpg","body":null,"created":"1745515249","gmt_created":"2025-04-24 17:20:49","changed":"1745515249","gmt_changed":"2025-04-24 17:20:49","alt":"tech-ai-fest collage","file":{"fid":"260780","name":"tech-ai-fest.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/tech-ai-fest.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/24\/tech-ai-fest.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1404859,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/24\/tech-ai-fest.jpg?itok=hHwbBBYs"}}},"media_ids":["676929"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660368","name":"Tech AI (Artificial Intelligence)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreon Martin\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}