New Hackathon Judge from Jasper AI, $457M for UT's Supercomputer, and More | AITX Newsletter #28

Hello everyone! AITX Team here with more updates this week.

If you’re new here, welcome! 👋 At AITX, we aim to:

• Connect you with like-minded peers passionate about AI.

• Provide a space for sharing ideas and receiving feedback on AI projects you’re building.

• Share helpful tools and invaluable resources.

AITX Hackathon Countdown & Updates ⏰

Listen up local AI startups!

We're introducing a new "Local Hacks" prize category in our upcoming hackathon!

Are you an Austin-based AI startup with innovative tools or services?

We want you!

We're searching for three more local companies to join our lineup.

What we're looking for:

• Austin-based AI companies

• Willingness to offer support (e.g., free tool access, mentorship, prizes)

• Enthusiasm to engage with our community

What you get:

• Exposure to talented developers

• Chance to showcase your tech

• Potential new users or collaborators

Limited spots available! Only three more companies will be selected.

Interested? Fill out our quick form here.

We'll review submissions and reach out to selected companies. Don't miss this chance to be part of Austin's thriving AI ecosystem!

Countdown

Our epic hackathon is just around the corner. Here's a quick refresh on the essentials:

Quick Details:

• Pre-Event Kickoff: Thursday, July 18th | 5:30 - 7:00 pm

• Main Event: Saturday, July 20th | 8:30 am - 7:00 pm

• Register Here (Don't miss out!)

Agenda Highlights:

• Team building & judging criteria overview (July 18th)

• Build your project, preliminary and final judging, prizes and networking (July 20th)

Current Judges So Far:

• Dustin Williams - Executive advisor to Google Cloud's most innovative partners

• Brendan Fulcher - Machine Learning Engineer @ Lambda Labs

• Guhan Venguswamy - Head of Platform Engineering @ Jasper.ai

These industry pros are ready to be wowed by your AI creations!

Remember, we're still handing out prizes for Best Hack, Best Vision-based Hack, and Smartest Dumb Use of AI. Time to get those creative juices flowing!

A big shout-out to our sponsors Lambda Labs, Antler VC, and Google Cloud for making this possible!

Can't hack but want to get involved?

We're still looking for judges and mentors. Reach out if you're interested!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Leverage AI Tools to Predict & Win at the Game of Business Chess😃

• When: Wednesday, August 7 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM CST

• Where:Capital Factory 701 Brazos St · Austin, TX

• What: As an AI and market research expert, Elizabeth Quintanilla will guide you through the transformative power of AI in crafting winning marketing strategies.

  Learn from successful case studies and understand the practical applications of AI in personalizing customer experiences, optimizing campaigns, and automating communications.

  These are actual tactics that can transform your business. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a business owner, this session will equip you with the insights and tools to outsmart your competition and drive success in today's fast-paced market.

AI Meetup (July): GenAI, LLMs and ML🫡

• When: Thursday, July 25 | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM CST

• Where:PMG 515 Congress Ave. # 1800 · Austin, TX

• What: In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, Chris Garyet, Director Specialist for Azure AI, presents "LLMOps on Azure," a transformative approach to operationalizing Large Language Models (LLMs) for AI-driven business outcomes.

  This talk delves into the challenges and solutions for integrating LLMs into real-world applications, emphasizing the shift from traditional MLOps to LLMOps.

Central Machine Works AI Meetup🥵

• When: Thursday, July 25 | 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM CST

• Where:Central Machine Works 4824 E Cesar Chavez St · Austin, TX

• What: Come join the Novo team at Central Machine Works on Thursday, July 25th for an AI meetup from 7:30pm - 10pm. 

Artists & the Age of AI: August 2024 Meetup🧑‍🎨

• When: Thursday, August 8 | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM CST

• Where:701 Brazos St 701 Brazos St · Austin, TX

• What: Connect with other artists, creatives, and technologists and stay updated on the latest developments in the arts and AI-tech space.

July 25 - AI, Machine Learning and Computer Vision Meetup👀

• When: Thursday, July 25 | 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM CST

• Where:701 Brazos St 701 Brazos St · Austin, TX

• What: Dean Drako is the inventor and entrepreneur behind cloud video surveillance provider Eagle Eye Networks, Barracuda Networks and Drako Motors.

  Drako will share the strategic decisions and innovations that propelled Eagle Eye Networks from a physical security-focused solution to an AI-powered platform

COMMUNITY STORIES

UT Austin's TACC Secures $457M to Lead NSF's Cutting-Edge Computing Facility

Here's a rewrite of the article for the AITX newsletter: Headline: UT Austin's TACC Secures $457M to Lead NSF's Cutting-Edge Computing Facility Summary: The Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at UT

Austin has been chosen to spearhead the National Science Foundation's Leadership-Class Computing Facility (LCCF).

This groundbreaking initiative, backed by a $457 million investment, aims to revolutionize computational research in the U.S. for the next decade.

The project will significantly boost AI and simulation capabilities, positioning Austin at the forefront of advanced computing and artificial intelligence research.

Need-to-know:

• TACC at UT Austin selected to lead NSF's Leadership-Class Computing Facility

• Initial NSF investment of $457 million for construction

• New supercomputer "Horizon" to provide 10x performance improvement for simulations

• AI applications to see over 100x improvement compared to current systems

• Facility will be open to scientists and engineers nationwide

• Project includes partnerships with several universities, including historically Black colleges

• Aligns with UT Austin's goal to become the highest-impact public research university globally

• Supports UT's focus on Technology and Society and declaration of 2024 as its "Year of AI"

• Operations expected to begin in 2026

Learn more here.

Texas Medical Center Embraces AI while Navigating Ethical Challenges

The Texas Medical Center is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into healthcare, balancing the technology's immense potential with ethical concerns. Institutions like Houston Methodist, UTHealth Houston, and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are leveraging AI to improve patient care, develop new treatments, and enhance research capabilities.

However, they're also grappling with issues of patient privacy, data security, and maintaining the human touch in healthcare.

Need-to-know:

• AI is being used across Texas Medical Center for data analysis, treatment planning, and improving patient experience

• Houston Methodist is developing protocols to disclose AI's role in patient communications

• UTHealth Houston has created AI models that protect individual patient privacy while analyzing large datasets

• M.D. Anderson is using AI for personalized cancer treatment plans and tumor measurement

• Researchers are exploring AI's potential in drug therapy development, including for Alzheimer's and cancer

• AI is helping to generate patient summaries and predict discharge dates at Houston Methodist

• Institutions are prioritizing data security and avoiding open-cloud versions of AI tools

• Ethical concerns include maintaining doctor-patient trust and balancing automation with human interaction

• The adoption of AI is transforming job roles within the healthcare system

• Texas Medical Center is focusing on responsible AI development in line with recent federal guidelines

Learn more here.

The Texas Tribune Seeks Public Input on AI Use in Journalism

The Texas Tribune, in partnership with 10 other newsrooms, is conducting research on audience attitudes towards artificial intelligence in news gathering.

This initiative, which includes a survey and one-on-one interviews with readers, aims to guide the responsible use of AI in journalism.

While embracing AI for tasks like generating audio versions of stories and transcription, the Tribune emphasizes human oversight and transparency in its AI policies.

Need-to-know:

• The Texas Tribune is partnering with 10 newsrooms to study public opinion on AI in journalism

• A survey is being conducted to gather reader opinions on AI disclosure and usage

• One-on-one interviews with readers are planned to discuss AI in news gathering

• The Tribune uses AI for accessibility (e.g., audio versions of stories) and efficiency (e.g., transcription)

• AI-generated content requires rigorous verification and editing before publication

• Journalists must disclose AI tool usage to editors and independently verify AI-sourced information

• The Tribune prohibits AI-generated images for news stories

• Non-editorial teams are encouraged to experiment with AI for tasks like copywriting and workflow automation

• The Tribune's AI policies prioritize transparency, journalistic oversight, and ethical usage

• Findings from this research will be shared with partner organizations to guide industry-wide approaches

Learn more here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT

We're thrilled to have Guhan Venguswamy as one of our esteemed judges for the upcoming AITX hackathon!

Guhan is the Head of Platform Engineering at Jasper.ai, a leader in AI content generation.

Guhan's expertise in AI infrastructure, enterprise AI adoption, and engineering team organization will be invaluable for our hackathon participants. We're thrilled to have his insights as we evaluate the innovative AI projects from our community.

Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your skills and receive feedback from industry leaders like Guhan at our upcoming hackathon!