AI / Robotics / IoT

In This Issue: A. DT’s Listing & Description of its Special 2026 New Programs B. Career Focused Ranking of the Top 10 Cutting-Edge Technologies in 2026 A. Disruptive Technologists Special 2026 Programs 🌎 Deaf / Vision Impaired Accessibility Platform: The engineering work has been completed to make Ziotag fully accessible for people with vision issues, and we are now offering schools and organizations a no-cost pilot of the platform to support students who are deaf or h

By Rachel Loui Your Favorite Actor Just Got Beat Up by a Ghost. Should You Be Scared? Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are throwing punches in a viral video. It looks real. It sounds real. Every sweat bead is in the right place. But neither actor was actually there. This is the “Seedance Siege,” a viral phenomenon powered by ByteDance’s newly released Seedance 2.0, a new AI tool that turns a single photo into a cinematic masterpiece. Hollywood is rioting. The Hollywood Reporter is c

By Amy Ji When today’s shoppers are deciding which products to buy, instead of asking Google and scrolling through countless websites, they might ask an AI chatbot, “What are the best wireless earbuds under $150 for working out? ” and it will reply in seconds with a handful of brands and one recommended retailer. That is the beauty of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), marking the tipping point of search. As Elizabeth Reid, VP of Search at Google, writes in its blog abou

By Amy Ji Reuven Aronashvili, Founder and CEO of CYE Security, emphasized that “Quantum computing could soon transform large language model training…potentially breaking today’s cost barrier” ( Forbes ). Training our AI tools, such as ChatGPT, is extremely time-consuming and energy-intensive using classical computers ( Forbes ). According to Emilia Stuart from IQM Quantum Computers, unlike classical computers, which use bits, by using qubits, quantum computing can process man

Dive into the brilliant world of Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet and Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist. He hosted a special charity dinner for Disruptive Technologists, a nonprofit that helps women, minorities, and people with disabilities access technology, education, and inspiration. Thirteen Disruptive Technologists donors sat down for an exclusive dinner with Vint in the Washington, D.C., area, asking him questions about life, the universe, and everything!

By Frank Lavigne, Disruptive Technologists, Inc. Chairman of the Board We, as a society, face a unique challenge when it comes to AI. And no, it’s not about preventing machines from taking over the world like in science fiction. Rather, the dilemma is ensuring that AI benefits everyone equally without leaving people at the mercy of cold, soulless algorithms. As the Chairman of a STEM nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds and abilities,

NYU Capstone Project Unveils AI-Powered Devices for Disabilities In an inspiring showcase of technological innovation, NYU students presented a groundbreaking Capstone project focused on robotics accessibility and AI wearable tech. The event highlighted innovative devices specifically designed to assist people with disabilities and the transformative power of robotics and AI in developing practical solutions for real-world challenges. Robotics Accessibility: A Game-Changer

In an era where digital transformation is essential, telepresence robots are revolutionizing human interaction in workplaces and healthcare. These innovative machines are redefining the way we connect, offering a bridge between physical distances for those who cannot do this themselves." Ava Robotics Leading the Way Ava Robotics , an innovative offshoot of the renowned iRobot , has been at the forefront of this revolution since its emergence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in la

In the rapidly evolving landscape of assistive technology, Kinova Robotics stands out as a beacon of innovation and hope. Since its beginning in 2006, this pioneering Canadian company has been on a mission to transform the lives of individuals with mobility challenges through state-of-the-art robotic solutions. At the heart of Kinova's offerings is the Jaco® robotic arm -, a marvel of engineering designed to offer autonomy and independence to people with limited upper limb m

A Panel and Networking Event hosted by NYU, CACNY, and Disruptive Technologists MAY 9, 2024 @ MakerSpace 6 MetroTech Center · 1st floor · Brooklyn, New York Get Your free tickets now Discover the Future of Accessibility and Dive into the World of Assistive Robotics Join us for an exhilarating evening at our free panel discussion, "The Fantastical World of Tech Accessibility Robots." This event is your gateway to understanding how robotics is revolutionizing accessibility, mak

ABOUT THE EVENT Join your fellow Disruptive Technologists in Time Square for our upcoming summer 2023 panel and networking event. This free event is co-hosted by the Cal Alumni Association of UC Berkeley June 27th, 20236:30 PM to 8 PMMicrosoft in Times SquareConference Room Floor 6th floor, Conference room “Central Park West”11 Times Square, Manhattan, NY REGISTER AND SAVE YOUR SPOT Meet with fellow disruptors for Inspiration & Networking . There will also be giveaways, coff

When people talk about climate change, they tend to focus on the physical aspects of climate, such as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, or temperatures and precipitation levels, and even wind patterns. “But these characteristics are all shaped by a living planet that is constantly changing. If you took life off planet Earth, it would have a very different environment,” said Jim Bellingham , a pioneer in autonomous underwater robotics systems and executive direc

A review of Google's entry into the AI creator arena by Disruptive Technologist Lauren Keyson. If you have been lucky enough to try out Google’s Bard - you have hit the jackpot! It’s an amazing gift. At least it is for journalists. That is because the time we spend writing articles is cut in half. For example, Disruptive Technologists is having a summer event on the problems Generative AI can cause. And I had planned to write an article about this as a preview for the event.

Lately, there has been plenty of chatter around AI and Ethics. According to an IBM study, 75% of business executives rank AI ethics as important in 2021. This is up from less than 50% in 2018. Why is AI ethics important? Here is a recent real-life example from December 2022. The “Lensa” app uses AI technology to create “cartoon” depictions from people’s real images. However, Lensa was also trained using billions of free photographs from the Internet without proper consent – n

Lauren Keyson gives us a glimpse into John Son, Strategic Planning Manager at DeepBrain AI, with this short 13-minute Quick Byte interview. That's what's fascinating about startup environments because there's no guidelines, no boundaries... John Son, Strategic Planning Manager at DeepBrain AI John talks a bit about how he first fell in love with AI, what he does at Deepbrain AI, and what he thinks is a good way for others to join in on this exciting industry. He speaks a bit

Meet Veronika Kolesnikova, Senior Software Engineer at Liberty Mutual Insurance in Massachusetts in this Quick Byte interview with Disruptive Technologists' own Lauren Keyson. Veronika has also been awarded a Microsoft MVP (AI) and is passionate about backend web development and Microsoft technologies like C#, .NET, and Azure. She is a speaker and hackathon volunteer who loves mobile, ML, and AR technologies. She also holds a master's degree in Information Technology. In this

Tom Lev is an entrepreneur with an appetite for accelerating human progress by augmenting human intelligence who founded TomBot AI, a next-gen AI platform . How did he start his entrepreneurial journey into AI? By first learning the fundamentals like math and information systems at Pace University in NYC. There he became inspired by AI – he thought it was going to be one of the most impactful technologies. He had found his niche. “You could have a job or a career or a call

Watch the Panel and Meet Sarah, a real AI Human from Deepbrain. In this hour-long Disruptive Technologists webinar, we not only met up with Sarah herself but also a brilliant panel of AI and chatbot experts to discuss the current state and future of chatbots and Human AIs. Is the technology up to the hype? AI Humans are interactive avatars with an external appearance just like a real human that can see, hear, and converse on a wide range of subjects - even with the ability to

Most Americans consider themselves Lifelong Learners (Horrigan, 2016). In most cases, what is meant is career development or personal development in the broadest sense. If we look at a narrower type of Lifelong Learning — “Serious Informal Academic Learning for Adults” — the cadre of Lifelong Learners is dramatically smaller. Technology, by providing improved access and support, may have a significant role to play in expanding this segment, to the great benefit of society.

Minerva Tantoco is currently the Chief Operating Officer of The Common's Project Foundation and was the first-ever Chief Technology Officer of New York City . She has been paving a path of innovation since the beginning of her career working on artificial intelligence in the '80s. As CTO of NYC, Minerva played a pivotal role in bringing technological innovation to the City. She discusses some of her favorite innovations such as the LinkNYC kiosks. Additionally, she talks ab