After a few years of being background noise, AI has suddenly become ubiquitous. From consumer apps to enterprise tools to medical devices, nearly everything claims to be “powered by AI” these days. But the technology’s unprecedented (and unregulated) rise prompts as many questions as it provides answers.
Fortunately, you’re coming to Disrupt, where we have a day and a stage dedicated to this fast-moving industry. We’ll hear from heads of major companies pivoting to AI, smaller startups aiming to change the status quo, skeptics questioning its ethics, and investors looking to back winners . . . before anyone knows what winning looks like.
It’s a complex and evolving space, and while no one knows what comes next, we intend to ask them anyway! This slice of experts and builders will give you plenty to ask ChatGPT about later. This is an early look at the agenda, so make sure to check back for more updates!
We hope you’ll join us at TechCrunch Disrupt on September 19–21 in San Francisco.
The AI Stage Agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
A Deep Dive on DeepMind, Google’s Premiere AI Lab
with Demis Hassabis (DeepMind)
DeepMind, the AI lab Google acquired in 2014, has grown to wield enormous influence over its parent company’s AI research. Led by Demis Hassabis, DeepMind — which, among other accomplishments, built an AI that can best world champions at Go — most recently was charged with spearheading Google’s generative AI efforts. In this fireside chat, Hassabis will discuss DeepMind’s current projects and others under his purview at Google — including healthcare.
Stronger, Faster…Safer? Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei on Letting AI Find Its Best Self
with Dario Amodei (Anthropic)
Is it possible for AI to be built ethically, to operate safely, yet remain useful and perhaps even profitable? Anthropic aims to thread this needle by moving slow and avoiding breakage — and it has raised hundreds of millions to do so. Co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei speaks about taking on the most complex software ever attempted with one hand tied behind his back.
Between Hype and a Hard Place: Gary Marcus on AI’s Next Steps
with Gary Marcus (Author and entrepreneur)
Balancing skepticism with a healthy respect for the havoc AI could create, Gary Marcus has been a rational voice in a hype-filled world. But with the technology entering the mainstream, we need to do more than warn — we need action, regulation, and cooperation. How do we get it? Marcus has some ideas.
Big Fish, Little Pond: Can Investors Make 10-Figure AI Valuations Pay Off in Markets No One Is Sure Exist?
with Miles Grimshaw (Benchmark), Sonya Huang (Sequoia), and Saam Motembi (Greylock)
Everyone seems to have agreed that AI will revolutionize tech, but so far the kind of revenue and deals that would justify billion-dollar valuations are scarce. How do venture capitalists and institutional investors envision the next few years playing out — and paying out?
AI Can Write Words — But Can It Understand Them?
with May Habib (Writer) and speaker to be announced
Text-generating AI is the hot new thing in tech. But while it’s proven to be a major productivity boost for some, it’s far from perfect. Generative text AI has biases and, depending on the model, a tendency to generate toxic content — or even confidently make up facts. Our panelists will discuss these limitations and more as investments in generative AI pick up steam.
Bias, Toxicity and Hallucination: Can AI Be Ethical?
with Kathy Baxter (Salesforce) and speakers to be announced
There’s palpable excitement around AI, especially generative AI, but the technology has problems. At the worst, it’s prejudicial and untruthful — potentially causing harm to the people who use it. Policymakers around the world are grappling with the implications of AI, as will this panel, which will explore the root causes of AI’s issues and how they can be responsibly mitigated — if that’s even possible.
How AI Can Both Accelerate and Slow Down the Disinformation Economy
with Gordon Crovitz (NewsGuard) and speakers to be announced
The threat of AI-generated disinformation, or just plain spam, is on everyone’s minds. We know language models can dish it out, but can they also hold it back? This panel will explore the risks and potential solutions as an election year looms.
Lights, Camera, Algorithm! Where AI Fits into Movies, Games and Creativity
with John Spitzer (Nvidia), Nikola Todorovic (Wonder Dynamics) and other speaker to be announced
The threat of AI-generated disinformation, or just plain spam, is on everyone’s mind. We know language models can dish it out, but can they also hold it back? This panel will explore the risks and potential solutions as an election year looms.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 runs September 19–21 in San Francisco. Buy your pass now! Seriously, what are you waiting for?
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