San Antonio Meetup Recap (Back to School Edition) | AITX Newsletter #36

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

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• 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 San Antonio Meetup Recap

This meetup, we had presentations from three UTSA students:

Presentation #1 by Matvei Popov

Matvei is a Trinity undergrad student who talked about advanced sequence modeling for genomics including usage of state-space models for large-scale DNA sequence modeling.

Presenation #2 by Dan Schumacher

Dan Schumacher, UTSA PhD student, gave us a glimpse into his work with temporal question answering in LLMs and applications around improving caregiving practices.

Presentation #3 by Jose Daniel Castillo

Jose Daniel Castillo, UTSA undergrad student, talked about AI powered defect detection in nuclear fuel.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Product Chat: Using GPTs In Your PM Work 🧰 

• When: Monday, September 16 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM CST

• Where: Cosmic Saltillo 1300 E 4th Street, · Austin, TX

• What: Join us for a relaxed, engaging conversation about leveraging GPTs in the workplace. We’ll dive into how they can streamline tasks, unlock new efficiencies, and even explore where their limits lie.

DataNuts - ‘Talk Nerdy to Me’ 🤓 

• When: Wednesday, September 18 | 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM CST

• Where: The Hoppy Monk 1010 N Loop 1604 E · San Antonio, TX

• What: Connect with a community of professionals, including Data Scientists, Data Engineers, Executives, Futurists, BI Developers, Project Managers, and more. It's a perfect chance to step away from your office (home or otherwise), put your phone down, and engage with like-minded individuals.

Austin AI Social Hour 🍸️ 

• When: Wednesday, September 25 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM CST

• Where: The Brewtorium Brewery & Kitchen 6015 Dillard Cir A · Austin, TX

• What: The perfect spot to mingle with a friendly mix of people who share an interest in AI and its potential. Whether you're looking to share your latest project, seek feedback and advice, or simply connect with like-minded individuals, this is the perfect opportunity to unwind and make new connections in a relaxed, casual environment.

Discussing AI for DevOps [September Meetup] 🗣️ 

• When: Thursday, September 26 | 5:45 PM - 7:45 PM CST

• Where: 10801 N Mopac Expy #100 10801 North Mopac Expressway · Austin, TX

• What: Join us at Quali's Austin office for a wide-ranging discussion on all things pertaining to AI for DevOps and platform engineering teams tasked with navigating this space.

  Discussions include:

  • Real-world use cases for AI in modern DevOps

  • Will GenAI replace all humans in DevOps (or, how far can GenAI really go?)

  • The GPU learning curve (and other key considerations for delivering AI app environments)

  • Developer experience deep dive (featuring stories from the trenches)

How to Build a 7-Figure Brand With AI-Powered Content Creation 📸 

• When: Wednesday, October 2 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM CST

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

• What: Join Andrew Lane, veteran brand builder and AI content strategist, for an advanced workshop on pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted marketing. Andrew has built a multi-million dollar digital product business while helping thousands of entrepreneurs build their own profitable online brands.

COMMUNITY STORIES

Austin Energy Deploys AI-Powered Wildfire Detection System

Austin Energy has partnered with Pano AI to revolutionize wildfire detection in Central Texas, using AI-driven cameras to spot smoke and quickly alert authorities. This high-tech initiative aims to protect Austin, which ranks fifth nationally for homes at risk of wildfire damage.

Need-to-know:

• 13 AI-powered cameras scan a 437-square-mile area across five counties

• The system automatically alerts authorities within a 15-mile radius when smoke is detected

• Austin averaged 16 fire weather days in 2022, up 2.4 days annually since 1973

Learn more here.

AI Could Be the Key to Stabilizing Texas Power Grid

As Texas continues to grapple with power grid challenges, artificial intelligence is emerging as a potential solution to stabilize the system. This development highlights the growing role of AI in addressing critical infrastructure issues in the Lone Star State.

Need-to-know:

• AI technology is being explored to improve power grid stability in Texas

• This initiative aims to address ongoing challenges with the state's power infrastructure

• The application of AI to the power grid demonstrates its potential impact on essential services

Learn more here.

AI Giant Nvidia Rumored to Be Scouting Large Office Space in Austin Area

Nvidia (the leading AI chipmaker) is reportedly searching for a significant office space in the Austin metro area, potentially on the north side. This move could further solidify Austin's position as a growing hub for AI and tech innovation.

Need-to-know:

• Nvidia is looking for a large office space, likely in north Austin

• The location could bring Nvidia closer to Dell Technologies, a key partner

• This expansion would reinforce Austin's status as a major tech and AI center

Learn more here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT

This week’s highlight is one of the speakers at the last meetup in San Antonio, Jose Daniel Castillo.

Here’s a little bit about him:

Connect with him here.