PALO ALTO, Calif. – August 9, 2016 – Singularity University (SU), the acclaimed technology-focused, Silicon Valley-based education institute and business accelerator, is bringing together global leaders in emerging and exponential technology for its inaugural Global Summit in San Francisco, August 28-30 at the Hilton Union Square, to tackle global challenges like food, water, energy sustainability, health, prosperity, and education.
“Today’s entrepreneurs can do what only government and the largest corporations could once do,” said Dr. Peter Diamandis, co-founder and executive chairman of Singularity University. “We’re going to be showing you where AI, robotics, synthetic biology, digital medicine, 3D printing, networks, sensors, computers are going to be transforming how we live, how we work, how we govern, how we do everything.”
The conference will give attendees a chance to dive deep into exponentials like mobility, robotics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR); get hands on experience with DIY IoT, VR/AR demos, and from over 60 organizations and startups in our EXPO; and discover where we are now and where we’re headed in the fields of biology, media, governance, human potential and sustainability.
“This is by far the best time in human history,” said Ray Kurzweil, futurist and co-founder and chancellor of SU. “That progress is going to accelerate. We’re in an era where we can make ourselves smarter with machines, not just with access to information at our fingertips through mobile devices, but we’re on the cusp of being able to reprogram our outdated human software DNA. It’s these types of advances we’re exploring with conference attendees.”
The inaugural event is the culmination of the SU Conference Series series and a proof point for SU’s mission to foster innovation and support projects that are making an impact. To this end, SU partnered with the likes of WWF-X, Doctors Without Borders, charity:water, Genentech, SAP, Caterpillar and more to launch the Global Grand Challenge Awards.
The program honors the most promising social impact tech companies that are addressing humanity’s 12 big challenges to shift us from an era of scarcity to abundance. Award entrants will be able to exhibit their work at Global Summit and finalists from each category will present their work on stage. Categories include: learning, energy, environment, food, health, prosperity, security, water, space, disaster resilience, governance, and shelter.
To support SU’s goals around education, Global Summit will also include free coding camps for children to help enable and foster the next great generation of doers and thinkers that will continue to push the boundaries of what humanity is capable of through technology to solve our greatest issues and ensure a future of abundance. For more information and to register visit: https://exponential.singularityu.org/summit/kidscodecamp
The Singularity University Global Summit is produced with generous support from and in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting LLP – the SU Conferences Platinum Sponsor.
Registration, full speaker lineup and working agenda are available at: https://exponential.singularityu.org/summit/
Additional Quotes:
“CIOs for large companies have the hardest job in corporate America today. They are responsible for driving innovation while simultaneously keeping their enormous infrastructure secure. A new breed of organization is displacing these companies –they are five years old or less with a very small footprint at the core and are able to perform mission-critical functions outside organizational boundaries, which makes it much easier to scale. Global Summit can help these CIOs understand how to transform into an exponential organization.” – Salim Ismail, global ambassador; founding executive director SU
“The Future of Work is here. Exponential technologies, the gig-economy, and new talent models are converging with socio-economic factors to transform companies, the workforce, and the very nature of careers. Contrary to what most critics will tell you, we believe this transformative change is good. At this year’s Global Summit, Deloitte will present its perspective on the Future of Work with People at the Center. We will share our experience on how successful organizations redesign themselves to find the right balance of talent and capabilities in the form of full-time employees, robots, algorithms, and crowds to capitalize on the strengths of each component of their extended workforce and win in this era of disruption.
-Andrew Vaz, global chief innovation officer, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
“The future of medicine isn’t just mobile. It’s connected, it’s digital, it becomes ubiquitous; it’s something that everybody is connected to almost all the time. The smartphone can become a platform for diagnostics and treatment. New technologies give doctors extended reach into diagnose in rural villages and streamlines the feedback loop improving overall care. Technology also serves as another tool doctors can reach for to treat patients whether it’s a step counter to help someone get into shape or a mindfulness app aimed at treating anxiety. Efficacy will only improve through the application of exponential technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.” – Dr. Daniel Kraft, medicine and neuroscience chair, SU
“The way artificial intelligence is framed in many conversation is as this uncontrollable and nefarious technology that is out to take our jobs. But the reality is, AI has the power to make us better at our jobs. From robo-advisors that help us make better smarter investments to being a partner in everyday decision making helping to avoid bias and pay attention to patterns in the world that humans unaided would have difficulty seeing. Looking at AI as an augmentation capability, the possibilities are truly exciting and endless. How we apply these capabilities to big problems is one objective of Global Summit.” – Neil Jacobstein, artificial intelligence and robotics chair, SU
“Climate change and energy sustainability have become top of mind for the public and politicians alike. At SU we see it as one of the 12 grand challenges facing humanity. The atmosphere’s ability to absorb greenhouse gases may be limited, but ideas and innovation are not. This is why we have included environment as one of the focus categories for the Global Grand Challenges awards. The costs of fixing climate change are short term and local; the benefits are long term and global. Real and immediate solutions are one area we’re exploring at Global Summit.” – Ramez Naam, energy and environmental systems faculty, SU
About Singularity University
Singularity University’s mission is to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies towards solving humanity’s grand challenges. Together with a highly engaged alumni community in 110 countries, SU is committed to creating positive and sustainable global impact via three core areas: Learning, Innovation and Community. Headquartered at NASA’s Research Park in the heart of Silicon Valley, it was founded in 2008 by Ray Kurzweil and Peter Diamandis. For thought leadership and perspectives on exponential technology, visit our media site SingularityHub.com. For more information, visit: SU.org. Join us on Facebook and Twitter @SingularityU.
For more information, visit the website or contact:
Monika Hathaway Ogilvy Public Relations
Tel: 415-677-2722