DFC Leadership Summit on the
Future of Technology & Applied Innovation

Edward Feigenbaum is an interdisciplinary computer scientist who pioneered Expert Systems and the knowledge-based approaches to artificial intelligence. He completed his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). In his PhD thesis, mentored by Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon, he developed EPAM (Elementary Perceiver and Memorizer), one of the first computer models of human learning.

At Stanford University, Ed founded the Heuristic Programming Project and Knowledge Systems Laboratory; directed Stanford's Computation Center; and chaired its Computer Science Department. For his research, Ed was the winner of the 1994 ACM Turing Award, the most prestigious award in computer science, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of Computing.

The biennial Feigenbaum Prize, established in his honor by the International Conference on Expert Systems, is now awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).

Sheldon Glashow is an American theoretical physicist who, with Steven Weinberg and Abdus Salam, received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979 for their complementary efforts in formulating the electroweak theory, which explains the unity of electromagnetism and the weak force. Glashow received a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University in 1958. He joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley in 1962 but four years later returned to Harvard as a professor of physics, Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics from 1979 onward. He remained at Harvard until 2000, when he retired as professor emeritus. That year he became Arthur G.B. Metcalf Professor of Mathematics and Science at Boston University. In the 1960s Weinberg and Salam had each independently devised a theory by which the weak nuclear force and the electromagnetic force could be conceived as manifestations of a single unified force called the electroweak force. Their theory could be applied only to leptons, however, a class of particles that includes electrons and neutrinos. Glashow found a way to extend their theory to other classes of elementary particles, notably baryons (e.g., protons and neutrons) and mesons. In doing so, Glashow had to invent a new property for quarks, which are the fundamental particles that constitute baryons and mesons. This new property, which Glashow called “charm,” provided a valuable extension of the theory of quarks.

Michael Hodge is a Principal at TVSDESIGN and directs Digital Practice and Design Technology Operations. He has practiced architecture for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience leading complex design projects and the creative use of digital practice tools at firms like Perkins + Will and Gensler prior to his current role. His career began as a designer and expert in design visualization and grew into strategic roles at the firm-wide level defining and leading BIM, parametric and computational design processes, and workflows. In his time practicing, he has applied cutting-edge processes and practice standards for projects such as the USA Headquarters for Mercedes Benz, University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, and many others. In his current role at TVSDESIGN, Michael directs and manages the strategic direction of digital design processes and emerging design technology adoption at the firmwide level. He is responsible for digital design technologies, and management of strategic direction of practice process methods and the management of digital design tool use, training, and standards. His responsibilities include information and knowledge management strategies, design and business software applications, advanced modeling and visualization, hardware and infrastructure, and design technology governance. Foremost in his responsibilities is the alignment of digital practice methods with the firms design and analysis approach, and strategic priorities. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is active in the AIA’s Large Firm Roundtable CIO group and other knowledge and leadership communities within the organization. Michael has also been a member of the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA), ACADIA and has guest lectured at several universities, and published multiple design research articles.

Dan Mapes is a Founder and President of VERSES AI (CBOE NEO exchange: VERS).

VERSES has commercialized a new type of AI called "Active Inference" AI. This AI provides a direct path to a SAFE form of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and overcomes the many limitations and dangers of todays popular LLMs such as ChatGPT. Active Inference is a form of Natural Intelligence because it is founded on the "Free Energy Principle" which is how sentience emerges in all living things and is based on the breakthrough research of the world's leading neuroscientist, Dr. Karl Friston, who is now Chief Scientist of VERSES. Search under "Active Inference", "Free Energy Principle", "Dr. Karl Friston"

VIDEO SUMMARY

Dan is also a Founder and Director of THE SPATIAL WEB FOUNDATION enabling a new Spatial Internet based on the HyperSpace Transaction Protocol - HSTP (Spatialwebfoundation.org) (IEEE Standard P2874).

The Spatial Web enables Active Inference AGI to be networked and decentralized globally. This global network functions as an AGI ecosystem leading to an ever-evolving "Collective Intelligence". Applications can range from the very general (Climate Management, etc,) to the very specific (individual health and education applications, etc.) which can be developed by individuals, businesses or governments.

Dan also co-authored the best-selling book - The Spatial Web - and is often a keynote speaker on the impact of AI, XR and Blockchains on business and society.

Dan was awarded the Flood Fellowship for his PhD studies at UC Berkeley with C.West Churchman (Applied Systems Theory) and Erich Jantsch (Evolutionary Systems Design). He is an avid sailor, diver and mountain biker who is also committed to a sustainable environment and owns a 250 acre Permaculture Ranch that is powered entirely by solar.

Rob Otani is widely regarded as one of the industry’s leading experts in automation and computational modeling. He established and oversees Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE studio, which focuses on applications development, advanced computational modeling and research and development. Rob is also part of the leadership team that oversees the firm-wide research and development program, CORE Lab, and serves as an advisor to Thornton Tomasetti’s innovation accelerator, TTWiiN. During his career, Rob has been responsible for the design and management of more than $2 billion of infrastructure, commercial, cultural and residential structures and infrastructure projects. He is highly proficient in seismic, wind, dynamic and thermal analysis, and has extensive experience detailing architecturally exposed structural steel and concrete structures. He manages and engineers many of the firm’s special structures projects, including those involving innovative materials and delivery methods.