Violet Whitney

Co-Founder @ Spatial Pixel

Violet co-leads Spatial Pixel, an AI research and design studio focused on empowering people with digital and spatial agency.

She teaches tangible and spatial computing courses at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Michigan. At Columbia, she helped launch a new master’s program called Computational Design Practices.

Violet has been a Director of Product and an Associate Director of Design at Sidewalk Labs, the Google initiative focused on building future cities. There she started Delve, an AI product for neighborhood development (now part of Google Maps), developed computer vision applications for pedestrian tracking, and worked with teams on leveraging LLMs for urban-scale problems.

All Sessions by Violet Whitney

10:35 - 11:20

Keynote: Spatial AI & A Future Beyond the Screen

Auditorium

Saturday 23.Nov

THEME: XR

Spatial AI & A Future Beyond the Screen

Technology has been bringing screens closer and closer to us, dominating our attention, ultimately tearing us away from healthy social interactions and the city.

We believe the most powerful capability emerging from artificial intelligence is its potential to get us back into the physical world, while maintaining the benefits of modern technologies.

We use AI to unlock interactions that are truly spatial, present, and human. This means exploring many different approaches to interfacing with machines: like speaking to or gesturing at something you’re talking about. AI can smooth the gap between the human expression of intent and the rigid yet often clumsy processes of machines. New AI models (today, seemingly constrained to chatbots) can enable rich, coordinated experiences across multiple applications and with the physical world (webcams, door locks, projections).

We’ll share our latest research on how spatial AI enables a future grounded in the tangible world and the opportunity it presents for cities.

TAGS: #SpatialComputing #TangibleComputing #AI

12:50 - 13:35

PANEL Discussion - From Tech to CEO: How to make the transition

Workshop Room 2

Friday 22.Nov / 12:50

This panel discussion features a diverse group of tech professionals who have transitioned into founders and CEOs, as well as business and investing experts. Together, we’ll explore the world of entrepreneurship and equip tech professionals with the tools to thrive as business leaders.

We’ll discuss the opportunities and challenges, emphasizing the importance of understanding tech’s role within the broader business landscape. The discussion will also provide practical advice for building a successful company. The panel has been designed by WE LEAD, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the gender gap in technology.

TAGS: #TECH2CEO #Entrepreneurs

15:35 - 16:45

Spatial AI & A Future Beyond the Screen

Workshop Room2

Saturday 23.Nov / 15:35

THEME: XR:AR/VR/MR, AI, SW Craftmanship

Large language models are typically constrained within singular interfaces like chat apps, but in this workshop you’ll learn to create rich coordinated experiences across multiple applications and the physical world (smart home cameras, door locks, APIs etc.).

You will be using a new application by Spatial Pixel called Funkify, which enables you to author and test LLM function calls easily. Using OpenAI’s API, you will build your own function calls, which will include external API calls to a physical smart plug, weather API, MapBox API, and others, so you can develop tangible interactive experiences at different scales. You will then export your function declarations from Funkify into your own code. For example, we will trigger lights based on computer vision results or prompt for driving and cycling distances.

#AI #AmbientComputing #SpatialComputing