BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Austin Technology Council - ECPv6.11.0.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Austin Technology Council REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20220313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20221106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250423T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250423T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20250409T123407Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250409T123407Z UID:10002169-1745435700-1745440200@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Artificial Integrity" by Hamilton Mann DESCRIPTION:Join the Austin Forum for an engaging online discussion of “Artificial Integrity: The Paths to Leading AI Toward a Human-Centered Future” with the author himself\, Hamilton Mann! In this thought-provoking book\, Mann introduces the transformative concept of “Artificial Integrity\,” a framework that emphasizes the importance of ethical and human-centered AI development. \nThis interactive session will delve into the book’s key themes\, including: \nThe limitations of traditional ethical frameworks in addressing the complexities of AI. \nThe importance of aligning AI with human values and societal norms. \nPractical strategies for designing\, implementing\, and continuously aligning AI development to responsibly advance human and artificial co-intelligence. \nHamilton Mann will moderate the discussion\, offering his unique insights and answering audience questions. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore a critical issue surrounding AI—Integrity over Intelligence—and learn how to shape a future where AI enhances\, rather than replaces\, human capabilities. \nMann is a Tech Executive\, Digital and AI for Good Pioneer\, Keynote Speaker\, and the originator of the concept of Artificial Integrity. He serves as Group Vice President at Thales\, where he co-leads the AI initiative and Digital Transformation while also overseeing global Digital Marketing activities. He also serves as a Senior Lecturer at INSEAD and HEC Paris as well as a mentor at the MIT Priscilla King Gray (PKG) Center. He is a doctoral researcher in AI at École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées – Institut Polytechnique de Paris. He writes regularly for Forbes as an AI columnist and has published articles about AI and its technological and societal implications in prominent academic\, business\, and policy outlets such as Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR)\, Knowledge at Wharton\, Leader to Leader (Wiley)\, Dialogue Duke Corporate Education\, INSEAD Knowledge\, the Harvard Business Review France and the European Business Review. He hosts The Hamilton Mann Conversation\, a podcast on Digital and AI for Good\, ranked in the Top 10 for technology thought leadership by Technology Magazine. He was inducted into the Thinkers50 Radar as one of the 30 most prominent rising business thinkers globally. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-artificial-integrity-by-hamilton-mann/ CATEGORIES:Community Event ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230831T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230831T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230825T101210Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230825T101210Z UID:10002114-1693504800-1693512000@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Global Energy Trends and Transitions (Austin Forum) DESCRIPTION:Come to the beautiful new Austin Energy Headquarters\, where Dr. Michael E. Webber will share insight on the future of global energy. Come early! Come in person! Free tacos\, T-shirts\, and tunes from the lovely and talented Amy Atchley during a 5pm – 6pm pre-event Networking Hour. \n                                   Generously hosted and sponsored by Austin Energy! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/global-energy-trends-and-transitions-austin-forum/ LOCATION:Austin Energy Headquarters\, 4815 Mueller Blvd.\, Austin\, TX\, 78723\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org GEO:30.301565;-97.704676 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Austin Energy Headquarters 4815 Mueller Blvd. Austin TX 78723 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4815 Mueller Blvd.:geo:-97.704676,30.301565 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230823T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230823T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230728T212651Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T212651Z UID:10002110-1692818100-1692822600@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Who Owns the Future?" DESCRIPTION:For our August monthly online discussion\, friend of the Austin Forum and Professor Emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin\, J. Craig Wheeler\, will lead us in a conversation about the power of our personal data within this new age of the information economy. \nThrough his book\, Who Owns the Future?\, Jaron Lanier\, Silicon Valley veteran and the father of virtual reality\, presses readers to question the intangible data contract inflicted upon them by the world’s elite. At the cost of clicking around on the internet all day for free\, hedge funds\, industry powerhouses such as Google and Amazon\, and the top 1% exploit our data. Lanier argues that this trade quite literally disintegrates the middle class and threatens our economy to the degree that it reaches your mortgage\, insurance\, and healthcare. Join us as we dive into the concepts of this book on a broader scale and consider potential solutions (our own and Lanier’s) that will give ownership and power back to data owners while strengthening the economy at all levels. This book has renewed relevance in the age of Large Language Models like ChatGPT that scrape copyrighted material from the Web with no recompense. Paying creators could be a version of Lanier’s micropayment scheme. \nWe encourage attendees to read the book Who Owns the Future?\, as it will foster richer\, more in-depth conversations. Reading the book is not a requirement to participate in the event. We look forward to seeing you there! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-who-owns-the-future-2/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/whoownsthefuture-3.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230823T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230823T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230629T202829Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230629T202829Z UID:10002104-1692818100-1692822600@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Who Owns the Future?" DESCRIPTION:For our August monthly online discussion\, friend of the Austin Forum and Professor Emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin\, J. Craig Wheeler\, will lead us in a conversation about the power of our personal data within this new age of the information economy. \nThrough his book\, Who Owns the Future?\, Jaron Lanier\, Silicon Valley veteran and the father of virtual reality\, presses readers to question the intangible data contract inflicted upon them by the world’s elite. At the cost of clicking around on the internet all day for free\, hedge funds\, industry powerhouses such as Google and Amazon\, and the top 1% exploit our data. Lanier argues that this trade quite literally disintegrates the middle class and threatens our economy to the degree that it reaches your mortgage\, insurance\, and healthcare. Join us as we dive into the concepts of this book on a broader scale and consider potential solutions (our own and Lanier’s) that will give ownership and power back to data owners while strengthening the economy at all levels. This book has renewed relevance in the age of Large Language Models like ChatGPT that scrape copyrighted material from the Web with no recompense. Paying creators could be a version of Lanier’s micropayment scheme. \nWe encourage attendees to read the book Who Owns the Future?\, as it will foster richer\, more in-depth conversations. Reading the book is not a requirement to participate in the event. We look forward to seeing you there! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-who-owns-the-future/ LOCATION:Zoom\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/whoownsthefuture-4.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230801T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230801T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230728T212723Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230728T213513Z UID:10002111-1690913700-1690920000@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Global Energy Trends and Transitions DESCRIPTION:The worldwide energy sector is going through dramatic shifts in energy demand\, end-uses\, and sources. Population growth and economic growth are driving up total demand. Industrialization\, urbanization\, electrification and motorization are changing how we use energy. And a policy push for domestic\, low-carbon and renewable fuels is changing our sources of energy. At the same time\, we are entering an era where markets\, technologies and policies are enabling dramatic increases in U.S. production of oil\, gas\, wind\, solar and bioenergy that is affecting global economies\, the environment\, and our national security posture. In parallel\, our energy and information sectors are merging to form smarter energy systems and more energy-intensive information systems. For this talk\, Dr. Webber will give an entertaining and big-picture overview of global energy trends mixed in with humorous anecdotes\, historical snippets\, and unexpected examples that will give a surprising look into the future of energy. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/global-energy-trends-and-transitions/ LOCATION:Austin Energy Headquarters\, 4815 Mueller Blvd.\, Austin\, TX\, 78723\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/energy-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org GEO:30.301565;-97.704676 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Austin Energy Headquarters 4815 Mueller Blvd. Austin TX 78723 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4815 Mueller Blvd.:geo:-97.704676,30.301565 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230726T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230726T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230721T175026Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230721T175026Z UID:10002108-1690398900-1690403400@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology" DESCRIPTION:For our July monthly online discussion\, SXSW Co-President & Chief Programming Officer\, Hugh Forrest\, will lead us in a conversation about synthetic biology\, genetic engineering\, and how these advancements will affect our lives. \nAmy Webb’s and Andrew Hessel’s book The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology\, acts as our springboard as we dive into this field and how computers are used to rewrite genetic code. This advancement opens a world of opportunities\, ranging from growing hamburger meat in a lab to creating vaccines for COVID. While hamburger patties are small in the scheme of life\, the technology behind it can lengthen lives\, as it will be an essential part in eradicating some of humans’ greatest threats\, such as food insecurity\, climate change\, and disease on a much grander scale. A longer\, healthier life is something anyone can get excited about\, but genetic engineering comes with risks as large as biological wars and extinctions. Join us as we explore the implications this has on the infrastructure of society (good and bad) and how we may avoid the risks that come with redesigning life. \nWe encourage attendees to read the book Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology\, as it will foster richer\, more in-depth conversations. Reading the book is not a requirement to participate in the event. We look forward to seeing you there! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-genesis-machine-our-quest-to-rewrite-life-in-the-age-of-synthetic-biology/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/misinformation2-1-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230518T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230518T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230414T165925Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230414T165925Z UID:10002097-1684437300-1684441800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of Spatial Web: How Web 3.0 Will Connect and Transform the World DESCRIPTION:For our May online book discussion\, Austin Forum Executive Director Jay Boisseau will lead us in a conversation about the book “The Spatial Web: How Web 3.0 will connect humans\, machines and AI to transform the world. Authors Dan Mapes and Gabriel René dive into the world wide web’s past\, present\, and future in this illuminating and optimistic global call to action. Understanding the web’s development and the Internet’s dark sides that have sprouted with these developments\, provides society the opportunity to anticipate what is in the future and prepare for it. While there are potential risks to AI\, AR and VR\, robotics\, IoT\, and more\, Mapes and René explore how the convergence of these technologies with human cognition will foster the Spatial Web\, an iteration of the web that holds the Internet and its players accountable in a way it hasn’t before. The authors are optimistic that this is an inevitable evolution of the Internet\, but recognize and demand the cooperation of companies\, governments\, and individuals in ethical practices\, social codes\, and protocols. Web 3.0 offers exciting possibilities that promise a connected and sustainable future if we make the right decisions about the Spatial Web now. Join us as we discuss these possibilities and the steps of how we get there. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-spatial-web-how-web-3-0-will-connect-and-transform-the-world/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Spatial-web.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230509T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230509T194500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230414T165945Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230414T165945Z UID:10002096-1683656100-1683661500@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Making the Metaverse Matter DESCRIPTION:Metaverse is not a new concept\, but it is recently generating lots of buzz as new metaverse games and applications advance in hardware capabilities and software techniques to provide superior experiences. Gaming serves as a big driver\, but we are also starting to see innovative applications in education\, retail\, healthcare\, and more. Join us for a conversation with three leading metaverse experts—Amber Allen of Double A Labs\, Hrish Lotlikar of Superworld\, and Finn Staber of Chicken Waffle—discuss the current state and expected innovations and applications in metaverse technologies and uses. There will be ample time for audience questions\, and then networking with the speakers and attendees. And\, as always\, one lucky in-person attendee will will a badge for SXSW 2024\, at which there is sure to (again) be lots of programming about the metaverse!​ URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/making-the-metaverse-matter/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/MetaMay2023-1-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230426T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230426T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230317T170144Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T170144Z UID:10002091-1682536500-1682541000@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "The Threshold: Leading in the Age of AI" DESCRIPTION:For our April monthly online book discussion\, SXSW Co-President Hugh Forrest will lead us in a conversation about the book “The Threshold: Leading in the Age of AI.” As artificial intelligence rapidly advances\, the need for individuals and organizations to adapt becomes increasingly critical. In this bold new take\, author and leadership consultant Nick Chatrath interweaves the analysis of the leadership strategies that sustained us up until this point with “threshold” leadership methods developed with AI in mind. Through anecdotes and research\, Chatrath demonstrates that our organizations’ survival and success as individuals depend on the qualities that make us uniquely human. Join us as we discuss this candid call to action\, the significance of standing at the precipice of AI superintelligence\, and how we can utilize Chatrath’s toolkit to reposition our companies to thrive in an AI-driven world. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-threshold-leading-in-the-age-of-ai/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Threshold.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230425T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230425T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230414T172105Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230414T172105Z UID:10002098-1682447400-1682452800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Austin AI Ecosystem Meetup DESCRIPTION:Austin has emerged as a leading technology hub\, and there is huge potential for leadership in the rapidly growing area of AI. Austin is now home to many AI companies\, from new startups to small and midsized companies with significant AI expertise\, products\, and services. Austin is also the home for the headquarters or large divisions of many national and global technology companies (Dell\, IBM\, AMD\, NVIDIA\, Intel\, Google\, Meta\, AWS\, Apple\, and more) that develop processors\, systems\, and software used to develop and implement AI in products\, services\, and/or internal operations. UT Austin’s computer sciences department is nationally ranked in AI\, and its Good Systems program is developing responsible AI applications to improve society. Finally\, Austin has local\, state\, and federal government (civilian and defense) organizations and agencies with responsibilities and missions that increasingly require and deploy AI capabilities. In short\, Austin’s strong tech sector\, UT Austin plus other universities\, and extensive government presence\, coupled with a creative\, can-do culture\, should enable Austin to become one of the leading cities in the world in AI development\, applications\, and impact. To do so will require collaborative participation\, organization\, and leadership. \nThe Austin Forum on Technology & Society\, Austin’s largest monthly technology events organization\, will host an Austin AI Ecosystem Meetup on Tuesday\, April 25 at the Capital Factory to bring together AI experts from these constituents to discuss the potential formation of an Austin AI ecosystem initiative. (This meetup reboots an effort started in 2019 but paused by the pandemic\, with some initial materials already prepared.) All professionals and researchers who work in AI in Austin are welcome to attend. A small set of AI experts from industry and academia will provide some opening context about possibilities and potential goals and plans\, which may include:\nDeveloping an Austin AI ecosystem communications platform to share expertise and ideas\nEstablishing a blog\, podcast\, and/or seminar series for Austin AI professionals to share results and next steps\nSharing training opportunities for developing a larger AI workforce\nSharing job\, internship\, and mentoring opportunities in Austin\nCreating new training collaboratively\nEstablishing an Austin-based AI conference that attracts national and global participation but plays to Austin’s AI core strengths\nCreating an annual report on the state of AI in Austin’s industry and how Austin ranks\nAnd possibly\, creating a proposal to fund a consortium effort with pre-competitive research\, similar to what launched Austin as a semiconductor leader in the Sematech/MCC days \nThey will then serve as facilitators during open networking\, and finally moderate a closing session at which any attendee can share thoughts on the goals/objectives\, potential benefits\, formation\, and/or execution of a sustained effort (with suggestions captured by a scribe). The moderators and attendees and moderators will then take over future planning for this effort (if the consensus is to go forward)\, and everyone will leave knowing more about the Austin AI ecosystem participants and having established new potential collaborators. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/austin-ai-ecosystem-meetup/ LOCATION:Capital Factory – Voltron Room\, 701 Brazos Street\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AIMeetup-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230418T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230418T210000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230317T170206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T170206Z UID:10002092-1681846200-1681851600@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:AI & Whiskey Chat DESCRIPTION:Join our AI and whiskey experts for another “AI & Whiskey Chat” as we collectively catch up on the latest important and cool developments and news in the field of AI—and do so while sampling and discussing some really good whiskey! Novices are welcome\, but the discussion may evolve towards more advanced topics as the discussion and tasting go on! We will have a couple of whiskeys for the tasting (for free)\, and we hope you’ll support Trifecta\, our generous host\, while you’re there! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/ai-whiskey-chat-3/ LOCATION:Trifecta on 3rd\, 360 Nueces St #30\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Whiskey2-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org GEO:30.2670554;-97.7495877 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Trifecta on 3rd 360 Nueces St #30 Austin TX 78701 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=360 Nueces St #30:geo:-97.7495877,30.2670554 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230412T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230412T214500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230317T170247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T170247Z UID:10002093-1681326000-1681335900@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:How Close/Far Are We from “Her” - Movie + AI Panel DESCRIPTION:The 2013 movie “Her” is a wonderful science fiction movie about AI having evolved to the point of general intelligence\, even sentience. There are no robotics in this AI movie—it is all about the powerful but human-like AI capabilities of his “OS.” “Her” is inspiring and thought-provoking but represents a realistically still far away or possibly unattainable. And yet\, on November 30\, 2022—just 9 years after “Her”—ChatGPT emerged and suddenly everyone was talking about how it mimics conversation\, can be trained on more data than any human could ever learn\, etc. (Read our short interview with ChatGPT and you’ll see.) Coupled with AI technologies for turning text to voice and vice versa\, one could imagine a verbal form of ChatGPT—and being to wonder if “Her” is much closer than we thought! \nJoin us for a showing of “Her” followed by a Q&A session with AI experts\, including natural language processing (NLP). They will answer your questions and will share their perspectives on the state and future of NLP and the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and sentience. The movie is still thought-provoking\, and our panel will help us understand where we are with AI\, where AI is headed\, and how we might(?) get to “Her” capabilities. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/how-close-far-are-we-from-her-movie-ai-panel/ LOCATION:Violet Crown Cinema\, 434 W 2nd St\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Moviescreening-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org GEO:30.2657646;-97.7481387 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Violet Crown Cinema 434 W 2nd St Austin TX 78701 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=434 W 2nd St:geo:-97.7481387,30.2657646 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230323T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230323T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204521 CREATED:20230225T233349Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230225T233349Z UID:10001784-1679598900-1679603400@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology" DESCRIPTION:For our March monthly online book discussion\, Austin Forum board member and AMD Senior Fellow\, Mike Ignatowski\, will lead us in a conversation about the book “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology.” In this historical account that reads like a thriller\, Chris Miller brings context to the current state of microchip technology and semiconductors and how that plays a role in geopolitics\, national security\, and the global economy. He takes readers on a journey that starts with the birth of Silicon Valley and ends with a competitive US-China relationship reminiscent of US foreign relationships during the Cold War. Join us as we discuss Miller’s work; the complexity of the situation; the implications these complexities could have on the global status quo; and what the future looks like in a world where resources are scarce\, the supply chain is unstable\, and stakes are high. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-chip-war-the-fight-for-the-worlds-most-critical-technology/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Chipwar.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230307T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230307T194500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20230225T233411Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230225T233411Z UID:10001786-1678212900-1678218300@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:How Technology is Innovating (and Improving) Global Financial Markets DESCRIPTION:Today’s financial markets are deeply dependent on technology to improve their function and enable expanded access to all participants. But why is technology so fundamental to modern markets? In this month’s Austin Forum\, Optiver’s Scott Richardson and Luke Wilson will walk us through the role of financial markets in today’s society and how technologies\, like machine learning and reprogrammable hardware\, make modern financial markets possible.​ URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/how-technology-is-innovating-and-improving-global-financial-markets/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/techinnovateglobalfinance-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230222T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230222T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20230202T211447Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230202T211447Z UID:10001778-1677093300-1677097800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of “Sea of Tranquility” DESCRIPTION:For our February monthly online book discussion\, Austin Forum board member\, Julie Tomlin\, will lead us in a conversation about the novel Sea of Tranquility. From the perspectives of three different characters in three different time periods\, Emily St. John Mandel explores metaphysics and time travel through the threads that intertwine these characters. This book uses their stories to reflect on relationships and interconnectedness\, the ethics behind time travel\, the tension between bureaucracy and humanity\, the importance of steadfast character in an ever-changing world\, and how we distinguish between reality and imagination when that world (or universe) turns out to be more fluid than it appears. During this online event\, we will discuss these themes and how they apply to our lives and the intersection of society and technology in our world. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-sea-of-tranquility/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SeaofTranquility.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230207T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230207T194500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20230112T171338Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230112T171338Z UID:10002087-1675793700-1675799100@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Simulation\, Visualization\, Digital Twins\, and the (Useful) Metaverse DESCRIPTION:Being able to simulate physical processes with high fidelity on powerful computers is important to research\, design\, manufacturing\, and more\, across fields and domains. Likewise\, being able to visualize data and simulations helps us humans understand\, trust\, and share information and understanding. We are now seeing these methods combined\, in ‘digital twins\,’ which are models of things\, places\, infrastructure\, etc. that use physics-based simulation\, realistic visualization\, and sometimes AI-enabled behaviors. And now\, we can collaborate to develop and bring all this together in virtual environments of digital twins–a practical\, useful metaverse! Join us as Marc Hamilton of NVIDIA returns to Austin to share how these technologies are advancing our capabilities to understand\, design\, and create everything from research simulations of complex phenomena to more accurate digital representations of things we wish to test\, evaluate\, and make/build. These powerful technologies are transforming how we work\, and understanding the now may give your career or company competitive advantages in our rapidly changing markets and society.​ URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/simulation-visualization-digital-twins-and-the-useful-metaverse/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/VisualSimulationDigitalTwins-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230110T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230110T194500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221208T162954Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221208T162954Z UID:10002080-1673374500-1673379900@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Tech Trends for 2023 (and beyond!) DESCRIPTION:Jay Boisseau and Jay Williams are back for their annual discussion of the emerging and maturing technologies poised to have much greater impacts on industry and work\, research and education\, health\, entertainment\, transportation\, and more in 2023 (and maybe a bit later\, but still soon!). As always\, they will share their views and other tech trends lists\, present their top picks\, discuss why tracking technologies in fast-changing times is important for innovating and out-competing\, and provide guidance on how to get started with some of the technologies in your company\, organization\, or professional development. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/tech-trends-for-2023-and-beyond/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W Cesar Chavez St\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/techtrends_orig.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221214T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221214T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221208T163022Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221208T163022Z UID:10002081-1671045300-1671049800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of the Best Tech+Society Books of 2022 DESCRIPTION:The Austin Forum online book discussions–and new activity inspired by our adoption of Zoom and desire to include anyone regardless of location–have been a big success! For this month’s online discussion\, instead of discussing\, dissecting\, and debating the societal implications of technology in one book\, we’ll ask everyone to share their favorite recent books on technology & society topics. Read anything great lately on cybersecurity\, AI\, climate tech\, health tech/biotech\, IoT/edge computing\, cloning\, alternate energy sources\, etc.? Join us and share\, or just listen in to collect reading ideas from others in our great community!​ URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-best-techsociety-books-of-2022-2/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/build.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221214T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221214T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221115T193521Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221115T193521Z UID:10002075-1671045300-1671049800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of the Best Tech+Society Books of 2022 DESCRIPTION:The Austin Forum online book discussions–and new activity inspired by our adoption of Zoom and desire to include anyone regardless of location–have been a big success! For this month’s online discussion\, instead of discussing\, dissecting\, and debating the societal implications of technology in one book\, we’ll ask everyone to share their favorite recent books on technology & society topics. Read anything great lately on cybersecurity\, AI\, climate tech\, health tech/biotech\, IoT/edge computing\, cloning\, alternate energy sources\, etc.? Join us and share\, or just listen in to collect reading ideas from others in our great community! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-best-techsociety-books-of-2022/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/bestbooks-1-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221206T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221206T194500 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221201T231849Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221201T231849Z UID:10002078-1670350500-1670355900@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:How Tech Can Make 2023 More Fun (Even Business) DESCRIPTION:Technologies play increasingly key roles in making life more entertaining\, more enjoyable–more fun! Yes\, they were critical in enabling us to work safely during a pandemic (and helped us mitigate it with vaccines!)\, but life is about more than work—and even ‘work’ should be more fun\, for employees and for customers. Join us for this special year-end event as we close out the year with information on new/emerging technologies (VR/AR\, cloud gaming\, robots\, and more) and advice on how to integrate more fun into our lives\, and even our companies and organizations\, our products and services. Erik Summa of Dell Technologies and Finn Staber of Chicken Waffle will inform\, educate\, and entertain us about the many ways tech can contribute to increased fun in all aspects of our lives. Afterwards\, our networking event will be at Valhalla E-Sports Lounge with drinks\, snacks\, and gaming! And yes\, there will be lessons for those who want help. 🙂 URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/how-tech-can-make-2023-more-fun-even-business/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/funtech-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221122T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221122T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221014T053046Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221014T053046Z UID:10002070-1669144500-1669149000@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World” DESCRIPTION:We are all familiar with social media’s capabilities for connecting and informing people\, but also the negative effects that many believe are influencing our minds\, culture\, and democracies. These effects run far deeper than what lies on the surface and have implications that have and will continue to change society as we know it. With profit as the motivator\, large tech companies have driven us to extreme opinions\, actions\, and polarities via the algorithm. During this online event\, we will discuss Max Fisher’s book\, “The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and the World\,” his findings\, and how we can alter the course we’re on. \nJoin us for a lively conversation moderated by Mike Ignatowski\, Senior Fellow at AMD and Austin Forum Advisory Board member. Read the book (or a summary)\, or just come listen to those who have\, but above all come prepared to discuss the current effects of social media\, how the tech titans play into it\, how we can disrupt the space\, and what the future holds for us in this new paradigm of social media. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-chaos-machine-the-inside-story-of-how-social-media-rewired-our-minds-and-our-world/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/chaosmachine.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221102T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221102T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221014T052918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221014T052918Z UID:10001751-1667412900-1667419200@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:The Future of Electricity DESCRIPTION:Electricity powers our homes\, businesses\, and increasingly transportation. What are the most promising technology advancements in the future of electricity? What’s in the Austin Climate Equity Plan\, one of the most aggressive city-based climate action roadmaps in the world? What technologies are being deployed to address local and state-wide outages of the grid? \n​This moderated presentation will conclude with recommendations for individuals and organizations\, followed by questions from the audience. After the main event\, please stay for networking and ongoing discussion among speakers and attendees\, with free eats and drinks courtesy of the awesome Austin Forum sponsors listed below. And\, thanks to our sponsor SXSW\, one in-person attendee with the best question of the night will win a free badge to SXSW 2023! \nClick here to register  URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/the-future-of-electricity/ LOCATION:Austin Energy Headquarters\, 4815 Mueller Blvd.\, Austin\, TX\, 78723\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/energy-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org GEO:30.301565;-97.704676 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Austin Energy Headquarters 4815 Mueller Blvd. Austin TX 78723 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=4815 Mueller Blvd.:geo:-97.704676,30.301565 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221020T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221020T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20221003T181037Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221003T181118Z UID:10001742-1666293300-1666297800@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything" DESCRIPTION:The metaverse is already here — but in such early\, limited forms that it may be difficult for some to understand and imagine just how powerful and revolutionary it can—and will—be. Matthew Ball’s new book\, “The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything\,” is designed to open our minds to the possibilities and prepare us to visualize\, or at least embrace\, the tremendous growth in capabilities and importance of the multiverse. Join us for a lively discussion moderated by Hugh Forrest\, Chief Programming Officer of SXSW (and huge book lover). Read the book (or a summary)\, or just come listen to those who have\, but above all come prepared to discuss possibilities\, challenges\, and what the future may hold for our companies\, school\, daily lives\, and more!\n​ \nREGISTER NOW URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-the-metaverse-and-how-it-will-revolutionize-everything/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/metaversebook.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20221011T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20221011T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220927T221336Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220927T221843Z UID:10002069-1665512100-1665518400@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Misinformation & Disinformation: ​Technology Factors and Potential Solutions DESCRIPTION:Join us on October 11 for this important in-person and online conversation with three leading experts who will discuss misinformation and disinformation. \nREGISTER NOW \nDigital technologies such as the Internet and World Wide Web\, social media platforms\, and smartphones have greatly expanded the quantity of information produced and shared by humans and its reach\, with tremendous positive benefits. However\, these tools also enable the rapid creation and distribution of misinformation and disinformation\, which can have significant negative ramifications for individuals and for society overall. \nNow\, newer technologies including modern AI tools are enabling even more convincing false information to reach the most susceptible targets for consuming and sharing it\, exacerbating the problems to new levels. Technologies are part of the misinformation/disinformation problems\, but can technologies—and their makers—be part of new solutions to fight it? How? And in the meantime\, how can we protect ourselves\, our companies\, and our communities from being misled\, accidentally or on purpose\, and promote identification and refutation of falsehoods\, and educational sharing of demonstrably accurate information? \nWe’ll bring together UT Austin professors Talia Stroud (Moody College of Communications) \, Matt Lease (School of Information)\, and Sherri Greenberg (LBJ School of Public Affairs) to examine the current challenges and discuss remediations and even potential solutions. This moderated discussion will conclude with recommendations for individuals and organizations\, followed by questions from the audience. \nAfter the main event\, please stay for networking and ongoing discussion among speakers and attendees\, with free eats and drinks courtesy of the awesome Austin Forum sponsors. And\, thanks to our sponsor SXSW\, one in-person attendee with the best question of the night will win a free badge to SXSW 2023! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/misinformation-disinformation-technology-factors-and-potential-solutions/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, Austin Public Library\, 710 W. César Chávez St.\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/misinformation1-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220922T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220922T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220916T185609Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220916T191153Z UID:10002064-1663874100-1663878600@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Stories\, Dice\, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future and Shape It" DESCRIPTION:In this month’s book discussion\, we are excited to have author (and entrepreneur\, futurist\, speaker\, and past Austin Forum presenter and podcast interviewee!) Byron Reese lead a discussion of his new book: Stories\, Dice\, and Rock That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future and Shape It.” Byron is a fantastic author on technology and humanity topics\, and this is a great chance for interactive discussion about a wide range of topics aligned with the Austin Forum mission. You do not have to read the book to attend\, but we strongly encourage it! \nREGISTER NOW URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-stories-dice-and-rocks-that-think-how-humans-learned-to-see-the-future-and-shape-it/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/storiesdicefinalgraphic-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220913T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220913T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220901T220004Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220901T220108Z UID:10001736-1663092900-1663099200@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Space: How Rockets\, Satellites\, and Telescopes Are Enhancing Our World and Helping to Understand the Universe DESCRIPTION:Space has captivated our imaginations since the dawn of humankind. Our gaze\, enhanced by evolving technologies\, has increased our understanding of the cosmos but also our world and our place in the Universe. Through increasingly capable telescopes and a better understanding of this data\, we have greatly expanded human knowledge and appreciation of our world and universe\, and our thirst for knowledge is continuously rewarded as new technologies help us see further and clearer. We have sent rockets beyond the Earth for decades\, to sense probes throughout our Solar System and beyond\, and to blanket our own world in satellites—and it’s in this latter area that we have dramatically expanded our understanding of Earth and our practical capabilities on it. Global broadcasting and communications enabled by rocket-launched satellites are so pervasive that we take them for granted. We use satellite-based mapping and GPS every day\, and everyone can get to most anywhere now with only a smartphone in hand. Satellite-based imaging of the Earth has greatly aided weather forecasting and climate science\, environment science\, national and international security\, education\, and more. And most recently\, the technologies of rockets\, satellites\, and telescopes have given us the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and provided us with breathtaking\, inspiring views of the Universe—even as technologies like the Starlink satellite network enable far more people here on Earth to access information quickly (including those great JWST images!). In fact\, the rate of annual rocket launches and the number of operational satellites have become amazing and transformative\, for our planet and society\, and the future is even more amazing. We have so many satellites in orbit now that the risks of congestion and collision are no longer insignificant. \nJoin us for this unique Austin Forum conversational event with three experts in space technologies and astronomy: Tom Markusic of Firefly Aerospace\, Moriba Jah of Privateer\, and Micaela Bagley of UT Austin’s Astronomy Department. They will discuss and show images and videos describing the current space industry prospects and challenges\, the latest astronomy insights from JWST\, and how these technologies and our continuous quests for knowledge about space and for transforming our society come together and unite us\, inspire us\, and drive human understanding. \nREGISTER NOW URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/space-how-rockets-satellites-and-telescopes-are-enhancing-our-world-and-helping-to-understand-the-universe/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/space2022-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220818T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220818T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220601T145830Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220706T173738Z UID:10002035-1660850100-1660854600@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "Termination Shock" DESCRIPTION:The Austin Forum’s July discussion event introduces a science fiction book with very real-world implications: Neal Stephenson’s new climate thriller\, “Termination Shock.” \nJoin Julie Tomlin\, Austin Forum advisory board member and elite sci-fi geek\, for a moderate and thoughtful discussion on how climate action might pit individuals against governments\, or governments against each other. This discussion will focus on the science of climate change and science-fiction\, as well as the implications for technology businesses and policies. \nRegister here.  URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-termination-shock/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/terminationshock-scaled.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220802T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220802T200000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220714T130208Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220714T130208Z UID:10001727-1659463200-1659470400@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:How Biotech\, Health Tech\, and Med Tech are Advancing Healthcare DESCRIPTION:Technology advances play a role in accelerating essentially every part of the healthcare spectrum: from basic life sciences research to translational and clinical research\, to clinical healthcare and hospital best practices\, to individual digital health and population health education. The COVID pandemic has raised general societal awareness of contagion transmissibility\, epidemic tracking\, and vaccine development and delivery\, but all of these health topics and many more are enabled by powerful and pervasive technologies in hands of medical and health researchers and practicers — and increasingly available to individuals as well. \nIn this presentation\, health technologies experts Dr. Nishi Viswanath of UT Dell Medical School and Dr. Scott Collins of BioAustinCTX\, will survey the landscape of health tech\, med-tech and biotech\, explaining the terms and their scope\, the kinds of technologies in use and under development\, and what the landscape is now and the future may hold. \nREGISTER NOW \nWant to win a SXSW 2023 badge? Come with your questions ready! The in-person attendee with the best question for the speaker during our Q&A portion of the event will win a SXSW 2023 badge. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/how-biotech-health-tech-and-med-tech-are-advancing-healthcare/ LOCATION:Austin Central Library\, 710 W. Cesar Chavez Downtown Austin\, Austin\, texas\, 78702\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/healthtech2-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220721T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220721T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220706T174658Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220706T174658Z UID:10001724-1658428200-1658435400@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Crossing the Chasm with NFTs DESCRIPTION:Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are everywhere these days\, but how many people actually own one or really understand what they are? According to Geoffrey Moore’s classic book\, Crossing the Chasm\, it is clear that we are still very much in the ‘early adopter’ phase with NFTs. What comes next? Can NFTs cross the chasm? What will they look like if they do? What are the use cases that will drive mass adoption? Join us for an in-person meetup about the technology adoption curve of NFTs\, led by Chris Wilson\, an NFT expert and the founder of R3VOLUTION DIGITAL\, a forthcoming platform for leveraging NFTs to help artists in the music industry make more money. \nThis will be an interactive meetup. Chris will give a short presentation to ‘set the table’ for the discussion that follows. Attendees are encouraged to participate – relating their own experiences with NFTs and contributing their expertise and experience to envisioning the future of these new digital assets. There will be ample time for questions and answers from everyone in attendance\, followed by networking (and of course\, refreshments\, thanks to our generous Austin Forum sponsors listed below). \nAll participants must register for this event via Eventbrite. URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/crossing-the-chasm-with-nfts/ CATEGORIES:Community Event ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20220630T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20220630T203000 DTSTAMP:20260420T204522 CREATED:20220601T144139Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220601T145240Z UID:10002034-1656615600-1656621000@www.austintechnologycouncil.org SUMMARY:Discussion of "This is How They Tell Me the World Ends" DESCRIPTION:The 2021 book “This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race\,” by Nicole Perlroth\, is a NY Times Bestseller. Although it is written in non-fiction journalism\, it reads like a modern-day spy thriller with illuminating\, sometimes terrifying\, insights and perspectives that are worthy of discussion\, especially in light of the Ukraine invasion. \nThe conversation surrounding this prize-winning book will explore cyberweapons as a new dimension of human conflict\, addressing the changing landscape and threats of modern warfare. It will be led by Hugh Forrest\, SXSW Chief Programming Officer\, Austin Forum advisory board member and avid book-reader. \nSign up for the online book talk now! \n**Also\, since SXSW will have just opened the PanelPicker for 2023 submissions\, Hugh will share some insights on how to craft the best submissions for SXSW 2023! URL:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/event/discussion-of-this-is-how-they-tell-me-the-world-ends/ LOCATION:Online via zoom\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.austintechnologycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/thisishowtheytellmetheworldends.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Austin Forum on Technology &%3B Society":MAILTO:info@austinforum.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR