CHICAGO, July 28, 2023   -- SIGGRAPH 2023, the premier conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques, announces that Dr. Darío Gil and Kathryn Kleiman will headline the Keynote Presentations. As SIGGRAPH 2023 celebrates its 50th year of breakthroughs and innovation, Dr. Gil and Ms. Kleiman will address the vision of the future of computing and pioneering women in programming, respectively. The 50th annual conference runs 6–10 August 2023 in person in Los Angeles, with a companion Virtual Access component.

SIGGRAPH 2023 Keynote Speakers

"We're excited and honored to have Dr. Darío Gil and Ms. Kathryn Kleiman be our Keynote Speakers at SIGGRAPH 2023," said Erik Brunvand, SIGGRAPH 2023 Conference Chair. "SIGGRAPH is a global community of innovators. Every year, we showcase the latest, most inventive technologies. But, seeing as it's our 50th conference, we also wanted to look back at the amazing and impressive technological history. By having Dario address the future of quantum computing, while Kathryn looks back to the women pioneers of computing, it's a great way to look forward while appreciating our past."

What's Next in Quantum Computing
Presented by: Dr. Darío Gil
Monday, 7 August 2023
9–10:30 am PDT

In his keynote address, Dr. Darío Gil will discuss the vision for the future of computing in which we seamlessly orchestrate classical and quantum resources. He will discuss recent progress indicating the utility of quantum computers and outline the path to achieving quantum advantage.

The history of computing has been defined by advances enabling ever more sophisticated calculations. These advances share the same model of computation, based on binary bits representing the intersection of information and mathematics. With innovations in semiconductors reducing energy or increasing performance to enable more sophisticated calculations, and advances in AI extracting powerful insights from data and providing unprecedented capabilities, the boundaries of this paradigm are constantly pushed. Now for the first time, there is a branching of computing paradigms with the emergence of quantum computing combining physics and information. It has the potential to solve problems out of reach for even the most powerful supercomputers. The intersection of both models — classical and quantum computation — will bring extraordinary computing power and efficiency.

Bio:
Dr. Darío Gil is the Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research. He directs innovation strategies in hybrid cloud, AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, and exploratory science. He also leads the technical community of IBM and is responsible for the company's intellectual property strategy and business. An advocate of collaborative research models, Dr. Gil co-chairs the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, which advances fundamental AI research for the benefit of industry and society. He also co-chairs the Executive Board of the International Science Reserve, a global network of open scientific communities that provides specialized resources to prepare for and help mitigate urgent, complex global challenges. Dr. Gil received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT.

Computer Programming Pioneers Revealed
Presented by: Kathryn Kleiman
Tuesday, 8 August 2023
9:15–10:45 am PDT

"We live in a computing world that grew from the minds and hearts of these remarkable programming pioneers," Kleiman says. "For the 50th SIGGRAPH conference, I will share incredible stories of innovation from women very much like us."

After the end of World War II, the race for technological supremacy sped on. Top-secret research into ballistics and computing — begun during the war to aid soldiers on the front lines — continued across the U.S. as engineers and programmers rushed to complete their covert assignments. Among them were six women tasked with programming the world's first general-purpose, programmable, all-electronic computer, ENIAC. The work of Kay McNulty Mauchly, Betty Snyder Holberton, Jean Jennings Bartik, Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum, Frances Bilas Spence, and Marlyn Wescoff Meltzer, untold for 70 years, is one of innovation and determination. Yet for 60 years, their story was unaccounted — a mystery that started with old black-and-white pictures of ENIAC.

Bio:
Author, Lawyer, and Professor at American University Washington College of Law Kathryn Kleiman embarks on a journey through history to tell the stories of the programming pioneers you may not know existed who led our charge into the era of computing. Ms. Kleiman published "Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World's First Modern Computer," based on her longtime research and interviews of the six ENIAC Programmers. Ms. Kleiman is a recognized leader in Internet policy and governance. She was part of the group that formed the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), co-founded of ICANN's Noncommercial Users Constituency, and served on the final drafting of ICANN's Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy. Before attending her Keynote Presentation, learn more about Ms. Kleiman's work uncovering the story of the women "in front of" ENIAC on the ACM SIGGRAPH Blog.

Learn more about the SIGGRAPH 2023 Keynote Speakers and Sponsored Keynote Speakers by checking out the full program. For more information about the conference, other programs, and opportunities to experience at SIGGRAPH 2023, or to register to attend in person or online, go to s2023.SIGGRAPH.org/register.

About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH, and SIGGRAPH 2023
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2023, the 50th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place live 6–10 August at the Los Angeles Convention Center, along with a Virtual Access option.

SOURCE SIGGRAPH