A welcome from MIT Technology Review’s editor in chief.

Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

Moore’s Law continues to fuel innovation, resulting in increased scale and complexity. How can abstraction at this level empower powerful and efficient compute?

Jim Keller, Intel
Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

Semiconductors made from rolled up sheets of atom-thick carbon could run faster and consume less energy than silicon ones, but they are challenging to manufacture. Here we look at new advances that aim to propel the technology into the mainstream.

Max Shulaker, MIT
Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

Startups and chip makers are developing new types of processors specifically for AI and machine learning. Hear about new “intelligence processing units” that enable the massively parallel processing required by modern AI applications.

Simon Knowles, Graphcore
Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

By mimicking the neural systems of the human brain, neuromorphic computing aims to turbocharge AI applications and to operate at a fraction of the power required by conventional chips. Is this radical departure from conventional computing the future of AI?

Catherine Schuman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

Simon Knowles, Graphcore
Catherine Schuman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

Using a novel new approach, it is now possible to control computer input with neural interfaces – no brain implants required. Hear about the practical impact of controlling devices with the nervous system and the impacts this technology will have on the design of future human-computer interaction.

Thomas Reardon, Facebook Reality Labs
Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review

Through the use of AR, AI, and sensors, it is becoming possible to make the invisible visible, in real time. This session explores new thoughts on the use of AR and AI in the surgical theater as a tool for IA - intelligence augmentation, where AR becomes not just a display device, but a sensing device.

Ramesh Raskar, MIT Media Lab
Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review

As computing power evolves, new ways of interacting with systems are emerging, turning human sensory experiences into viable computing interfaces. How effective are today’s interfaces and what might the future hold?

David Blodgett, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review

AI has provided computers with near-human levels of data perception, and neuromorphic computing aims to take this a step further – chips directly inspired by biological neural circuits so they can process new knowledge, adapt, and learn in real time at low power levels. This technology has advanced rapidly in recent years and, today, Intel’s Loihi neuromorphic research chip has a growing body of quantitative results demonstrating outperformance versus conventional architectures. The results point to compelling scaling trends, as these systems are scaled up to millions of neurons, providing a roadmap for future breakthroughs in AI. This session shares the latest progress from Intel’s neuromorphic research: algorithmic innovations, community-wide collaboration, and emerging real-world applications from gesture recognition to robotic control to monitoring power grids and more.

Mike Davies, Intel
Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, MIT Technology Review

With the rise of AI, IoT, and 5G technology, edge computing promises to address concerns with latency, bandwidth costs, security, and privacy. Understand how its rise will impact a variety of intelligent applications, like autonomous vehicles, AR/VR, personalized health care, and smart factories.

Tom Leighton, Akamai Technologies
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

Growing volumes of data, smarter edge devices, and new, diverse workloads are causing demand for computing to grow at phenomenal rates. How do you respond to the current opportunities, exponentially increasing compute capacity at a fixed cost? In what ways are hardware and software converging? And what are the innovations and trends on the horizon that will shape the future computing landscape?

Parthasarathy Ranganathan, Google
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

More massive data thefts. Ransomware attacks that lock down computers in cities and businesses. Software that targets safety systems. The litany of cyber threats we face gets ever longer—and more frightening. As we consider the future of computing, how can we make it more secure by design? And what else should we be doing to tackle the hacking plague?

Rohit Ghai, RSA
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

Tom Leighton, Akamai Technologies
Parthasarathy Ranganathan, Google
Rohit Ghai, RSA
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

From evolving technology to the preservation of our social conscience, it will take a combined effort to educate, train, and normalize the workforce of the future.

Dan Huttenlocher, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
David Rotman, MIT Technology Review

In every industry, technology is now a critical driver of success and the fundamental nature of computing is changing. AI, neuromorphic chips, edge and cloud computing, 5G, quantum computing, and the Internet of Things are making it possible to solve problems in entirely new ways and unleash new business opportunities. Here’s how senior executives are preparing for the coming shifts.

Don Anderson, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Adriana Karaboutis, National Grid
Robert Solis, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Giorgos Zacharia, KAYAK
Lindsey Anderson, MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

From esoteric tech to AI, visual analysis and deep learning systems are now transforming the innovation of intelligent products and devices, making enterprises more competitive and jobs more efficient. What does this this mean within the enterprise space? How does this translate into worksite and process efficiency?

Max Versace, Neurala
David Rotman, MIT Technology Review

There is an intense race taking place between America, China, and other countries to develop ever more powerful supercomputers. And it may not be long before the world sees the first exascale machine—a computer capable of a billion billion calculations a second, or one exaflop. Why are supercomputers still important and what impact does their development have on the rest of the computing ecosystem?

Alan Lee, AMD
Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

A welcome from MIT Technology Review’s editor in chief who will set the stage for the day’s program as we prepare for the Years to Quantum.

Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

This session will provide a crash course on quantum computing: how it works, why it’s so powerful, and where quantum computing will have its greatest impact. This introduction to the world of quantum computing will provide a baseline understanding for the day’s upcoming sessions.

William Oliver, MIT
David Rotman, MIT Technology Review

Beta or VHS? PC or Mac? In the early stages of any new technology, different technical implementations vie for commercial supremacy and quantum computing is no different. This session explores progress being made with several different approaches to building quantum machines.

Chris Monroe, IonQ, University of Maryland
Rob Schoelkopf, Quantum Circuits, Yale University
Krysta Svore, Microsoft
Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

On October 23, Google revealed that Sycamore, their 54-qubit quantum computer, was able to complete a task in 200 seconds that it estimated would take over 10,000 years on a classical computer. This is the first time a quantum computer has carried out a specific calculation that is beyond the practical capabilities of today’s most powerful supercomputers. Learn about this milestone achievement and what it means for the future of quantum computing.

Marissa Giustina, Google

We’re still in the early days of quantum computing, but it already shows huge promise for business applications across industries. This session provides a high-level overview of the capabilities it offers and highlights some areas likely to benefit from these first, including optimizing supply chain logistics and powering research into new materials and drugs.

Alan Baratz, D-Wave
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

There is widespread agreement that quantum computers will rock current security protocols that protect global financial markets and the inner workings of government. This session explores the measures and countermeasures necessary to protect your data in the quantum world.

Roberta Faux, BlackHorse Solutions
Patrick Howell O'Neill, MIT Technology Review

The threat posed by cyberattacks is forcing governments, militaries, and businesses to explore more secure ways of transmitting information. Quantum key distribution is in use today and could be the key to securing data for years to come. How does this mechanism work, and is it safe?

John Prisco, Quantum Xchange
Patrick Howell O'Neill, MIT Technology Review

Quantum experts and corporate executives provide actionable insights into how quantum technologies are being deployed — and will be deployed in future — to spur radical innovation across industries.

Current quantum AI networks are no match for neural networks running on powerful conventional computers today. But looking ahead, quantum machines may gain an edge for certain types of AI challenges. It’s time to start exploring this future.

Blake Johnson, IBM
Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

Quantum technologies are expected to create a massive paradigm shift in the way aircrafts are built and flown. Airbus is an early adopter of quantum technologies, attempting to enhance the performance of their products and services and solving the most complex aerospace challenges.

Thierry Botter, Airbus
Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

Simulation of chemical bonds and reactions is expected to be one of the first applications for at-scale quantum computers. Learn how quantum computing is enabling breakthroughs in chemistry that could lead to new materials, new batteries and new medicines.

Jacob Grose, BASF Venture Capital
Christopher Savoie, Zapata Computing
David Rotman, MIT Technology Review

Venture capital investment in quantum technologies has been ramping up. Hear from leading investors about where they think the field is heading, and what key trends to look out for over the next few years.

James Hardiman, DCVC
Mark Cupta, Prelude Ventures
Michael Reilly, MIT Technology Review

In the coming quantum era, organizations will need people with a unique mix of knowledge of physics, engineering, and software to help them profit from these exciting new technologies. But the number of researchers who currently fit this profile is quite small. How should we be developing the future quantum workforce, and what steps should businesses be taking to harness this rare talent now?

Chris Monroe, IonQ, University of Maryland
Blake Johnson, IBM
Amy Greene, MIT
Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review

Closing remarks from MIT Technology Review’s editor in chief.

Gideon Lichfield, MIT Technology Review