Watch Future of Graphics and Virtual Worlds at SIGGRAPH 2024 on July 29

NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang and Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will hold a public fireside chat on Monday, July 29 | 4:00 p.m. MT, at the 50th edition of the SIGGRAPH graphics conference in Denver.



The two leaders will discuss the future of AI and simulation and the pivotal role of research at SIGGRAPH, which focuses on the intersection of graphics and technology.

Before the discussion, Huang will also appear in a fireside chat with WIRED senior writer Lauren Goode to discuss AI and graphics for the new computing revolution.

Both conversations will be available live and on replay at NVIDIA.com.

The appearances at the conference, which runs July 28-Aug. 1, highlight SIGGRAPH’s continued role in technological innovation. Nearly 100 exhibitors will showcase how graphics are stepping into the future.

Attendees exploring the SIGGRAPH Innovation Zone will encounter startups at the forefront of computing and graphics while insights from industry leaders like Huang deliver a glimpse into the technological horizon.

Since the conference’s 1974 inception in Boulder, Colorado, SIGGRAPH has been at the forefront of innovation.

It introduced the world to demos such as the “Aspen Movie Map” — a precursor to Google Street View decades ahead of its time — and one of the first screenings of Pixar’s Luxo Jr., which redefined the art of animation.

The conference remains the leading venue for groundbreaking research in computer graphics.

Publications that redefined modern visual culture — including Ed Catmull’s 1974 paper on texture mapping, Turner Whitted’s 1980 paper on ray-tracing techniques, and James T. Kajiya’s 1986 “The Rendering Equation” — first made their debut at SIGGRAPH.

Innovations like these are now spilling out across the world’s industries.

Throughout the Innovation Zone, over a dozen startups are showcasing how they’re bringing advancements rooted in graphics into diverse fields — from robotics and manufacturing to autonomous vehicles and scientific research, including climate science.

Highlights include Tomorrow.io, which leverages NVIDIA Earth-2 to provide precise weather insights and offers early warning systems to help organizations adapt to climate changes.

Looking Glass is pioneering holographic technology that enables 3D content experiences without headsets. The company is using NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation GPUs and NVIDIA Maxine technology to enhance real-time audio, video and augmented-reality effects to make this possible.

Manufacturing startup nTop developed a computer-aided design tool using NVIDIA GPU-powered signed distance fields. The tool uses the NVIDIA OptiX rendering engine and a two-way NVIDIA Omniverse LiveLink connector to enable real-time, high-fidelity visualization and collaboration across design and simulation platforms.

Conference attendees can also explore how generative AI — a technology deeply rooted in visual computing — is remaking professional graphics.

On July 31, industry leaders and developers will gather in room 607 at the Colorado Convention Center for Generative AI Day, exploring cutting-edge solutions for visual effects, animation and game development with leaders from Bria AI, Cuebric, Getty Images, Replikant, Shutterstock and others.

The conference’s speaker lineup is equally compelling.

In addition to Huang and Zuckerberg, notable presenters include Dava Newman of MIT Media Lab and Mark Sagar from Soul Machines, who’ll delve into the intersections of bioengineering, design and digital humans.

Finally, as part of SIGGRAPH’s rich legacy, the inaugural Stephen Parker Award will be presented to honor the memory and contributions of Stephen Parker, vice president of professional graphics at NVIDIA. Renowned for his pioneering work in interactive ray tracing and computer graphics, Parker left a legacy that continues to inspire the field.

Join the global technology community in Denver later this month to discover why SIGGRAPH remains at the forefront of demonstrating, predicting and shaping the future of technology.