TL;DR
- The first Synthetic Media Summit will discuss generative AI’s impact on the media and entertainment industries, drawing on experts from USC’s School of Cinematic Art and the Annenberg School of Communications, as well as senior researchers, thinkers and executives.
- Presented in part by NAB Amplify, the all-day event is scheduled for Thursday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT). It will be held online and at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles (University Park campus).
The Entertainment Technology Center at USC will host the inaugural Synthetic Media Summit online and in Los Angeles on June 8.
The daylong event promises to feature a range of experts and stakeholders working in the field of generative AI, all with a lens on applications for the media industry and the accompanying “promises and perils.”
The summit is a collaboration between USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, presented in part by NAB Amplify.
Confirmed speakers include senior researchers and media executives as well as startup founders, writers, and other thought leaders:
- Bill Baggelaar (CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment)
- Randy Bean (writer, Harvard Business Review)
- Stella Biderman (AI ethics researcher, Eleuther.ai)
- Tom Davenport (writer, Harvard Business Review / professor, University of Oxford)
- Angela Dunning (partner, Cooley LLC)
- Tom Graham (CEO, Metaphysic.ai)
- Tony Guarino (EVP, Global Production & Studio Technology, Paramount)
- Melody Hildebrant (CISO, Fox Corp. / President, Blockchain Creative Labs
- David Holz (CEO, Midjourney)
- Renard Jenkins (SVP, Production Integration & Creative Technology Services, Warner Bros. Discovery)
- Dr. Jan Leike (Alignment Team Lead, OpenAI)
- Dr. Mark Lemley (professor, Director of the Program in Law, Science & Technology, Stanford University)
- Dr. Gary Marcus (author, entrepreneur, and professor of psychology, NYU)
- Sanjay Pandit (CTO, CAA)
- Nikki Pope (head of AI Legal, NVIDIA)
- Max Sills (General Counsel, Midjourney)
- Nikola Todorovic (founder/CEO, Wonder Dynamics)
In person attendance is limited, but remote participation is available at a reduced cost. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite, for $175 and $50, respectively, (plus tax).
“After many false starts, AI is here. And it’s equally parts powerful, promising, and concerning. Generative AI promises to change the way media content is produced, distributed, and consumed. It even alters the nature of media itself. None of us, inside or outside of the industry, is fully ready for what AI is about to bring about. So to chart the course of this AI-driven media future, the University of Southern California is organizing the world’s very first Synthetic Media Summit.”
ETC@USC event description
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