AI and the Metaverse

A conversation on how AI is powering the next media platforms.

AI and the Metaverse

Hilmar Koch, Head of Media and Entertainment Industry Futures @Autodesk Research

Hilmar Koch leads the Media and Entertainment Industry Futures in Autodesk Research. The group develops inspiring projects with visionary customers. In the four years prior, Hilmar was a member of the Strategic Foresight team, leading company symposiums, strategy leaders, and teams across the company in foresight exercises to help them form clearer pictures of potential and preferred futures. He has built up fluency in all of Autodesk’s industries and is a lifelong learner. Hilmar joined Autodesk in 2017 after a career at Blue Sky Studios, and Industrial Light and Magic. He worked in various roles on many movies and won an Academy Award for his work. In entertainment, Hilmar focused on innovation for storytelling, and held positions as Head of Computer Graphics, Director of Virtual Production, and Director of the Advanced Development Group.

Shantenu Agarwal, VP, Soul Machines

Shantenu Agarwal is the VP of A.I. and Ecosystems at Soul Machines where he is building out the future of interactions between humans and tech. Prior to joining Soul Machines, Shantenu was an early pioneer at IBM Watson where he built, launched, and grew a new A.I. products and helped customers learn how A.I. will shape the future relationship with their customers. He has spoken about the benefit of how A.I. will empower humanity at forums such as the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund Youth Summit, and various industry conferences. Shantenu is an ardent supporter of the entrepreneurial community where he is an investor, mentor, and advisor to young companies and aspiring entrepreneurs globally. Shantenu graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Bioengineering and Entrepreneurship with focus on A.I.

Lincoln Wallen, CTO, Improbable.io

Lincoln is a senior technologist with a proven track record building companies to service video game production, and in the digital transformation of public companies in the entertainment sector. Lincoln was a VP at Criterion Software, the leading middleware provider in the console era; he led Electronic Arts transition to mobile gaming as CTO; and as CTO/CIO transformed DreamWorks Animation SKG into a cloud native enterprise to transform film production. Before joining Improbable Lincoln was CEO of a DreamWorks spin out seeking to transform the consumer products supply chain through digital twins for use in design, merchandising and marketing. Lincoln has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.