Leaders from business, government and academia will converge Monday for a sold-out AI Horizons summit in Pittsburgh to discuss how to drive the technology responsibly.
Unlike initiatives in other cities, the 450-person event in Bakery Square promises keynotes with experts who are actually building artificial intelligence systems, both at Pittsburgh’s top research universities and in the private sector.
That includes people like Zico Kolter, who leads the machine learning department at Carnegie Mellon University while also serving as a board member for OpenAI.
Nvidia executives will formally sign an agreement with CMU and the University of Pittsburgh on Monday to establish the chip maker's first “AI Tech Community” here.
And Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro plans to give an update on the AI executive order he signed last fall.
“We need to lean into innovation and adapt to the changing tech environment while we continue to educate ourselves about new technology… to ensure our Commonwealth approaches gen AI responsibly and ethically,” the governor said through a spokesperson.
Members of the Pittsburgh tech community describe Mr. Shapiro as an advocate for business and a potential leader on AI.
“[He’s] someone who understands, and cares deeply about the actual facts, as opposed to just being there to shake your hand,” said Jake Loosararian, chief executive of the North Side-based Gecko Robotics.
The summit was organized by members of an “AI Avenue” working group who are trying to drive investment in Pittsburgh’s tech scene, especially in East Liberty, where Google and Duolingo already have offices.
It will feature Bruce Katz, an urban policy strategist who has advised the group, as well as members like Andrew Moore, a former Google vice president who runs a small AI startup here focused on national security.
“It’s partly a celebration of this remarkable position Pittsburgh finds itself in, and partly a challenge,” Mr. Katz said of the summit. “There’s only a couple places that can play at this level.”
Laurie Segall, a former tech correspondent for CNN and 60 Minutes who founded her own AI-focused entertainment company called Mostly Human, will moderate the conversation with Mr. Shapiro.
Another speaker, Lance Lindauer, is hoping to drive home an emphasis on defense tech.
“Pittsburgh has an opportunity to lean extraordinarily aggressively in more defense-related activities,” said Mr. Lindauer, cofounder and director of the Partnership to Advance Responsible Technology, a nonprofit think tank here. “We're going to be working to provide the governor with some research and related study material to actually help push forward Pittsburgh becoming a larger node on the defense industrial base.”
The event is part of a larger tech week loosely organized by Google, Citizens and the City of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said he hopes it will “shine a spotlight on our city's thriving tech industry.”
On Monday evening, Google is hosting a panel conversation on AI and inclusion with Kendra Janelle Ross, head of social impact at Duolingo, and others.
On Thursday, high school students will learn about robotics, AI, and coding at Commonwealth Charter Academy’s EXPlore YouthDay. Former NFL running back Jerome Bettis is expected to rock up in his Tesla Cybertruck.
First Published: October 13, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: October 14, 2024, 7:01 p.m.
