Generative AI (artificial intelligence) is the theme for the 48th annual Trenton Computer Festival, which takes place Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
The day-long event, which bills itself as the “oldest personal computer show in the world,” features 11 different tracks of talks covering topics from object oriented programming to social media. The cost to attend is $20; $15 in advance. Children under 12 are free. One-way live Zoom streaming of lectures will be available for free on the TCF website, www.tcf-nj.org.
The full day of lectures concludes at 3:40 p.m. with a keynote speech by Michael Littman, a professor of computer science at Brown University whose research focuses on machine learning and decision making under uncertainty. His most recent book, “Code to Joy: Why Everyone Should Learn a Little Programming,” was published by MIT Press in 2023.
Press materials describe Littman’s talk, titled “Conveying Tasks to Computers: How Machine Learning Can Help,” as follows:
“It is immensely empowering to delegate information processing work to machines and have them carry out difficult tasks on our behalf. But programming computers is hard. The traditional approach to this problem is to try to fix people: They should work harder to learn to code. In this talk, I argue that a promising alternative is to meet people partway. Specifically, powerful new approaches to machine learning provide ways to infer intent from disparate signals and could help make it easier for everyone to get computational help with their vexing problems.”
The day’s schedule has five 55-minute presentation slots in each category, with 10 minutes between sessions. Talks start at 10:15 a.m., 11:20 a.m.; 12:25 p.m.; 1:30 p.m.; and 2:35 p.m. The 11 topic tracks are Generative AI; GenAI Music & the Arts; Tutorial & Tech; Social Media & Apps; History & Technology; Education & STEM; Technology & Robotics; Tutorials & Applications; Apps & AI; and OOP University.
Also offered is an amateur radio cram course followed by the ham operator licensing exam; vendor exhibits and sales; an EV car show (weather permitting) with the opportunity to ride or drive an electric vehicle; smash robot battles featuring TCNJ students; and time to view the Sarnoff Technology Collection.
A summary of the scheduled talks during each presentation period follows:
Session 1: 10:15 to 11:10 a.m.
“How to Build an AGI in Your Spare Time,” presented by Alianna J. Maren and Lee Goldberg. Maren is the founder of Themasis Associates, which develops technology and education for predictive intelligence models. Her talk, moderated by tech journalist Goldberg, is about a new architecture for creating a real AGI (artificial general intelligence) that allows a more nuanced range of behaviors than existing models.
Jeremy dePrisco, a musician and sound artist based in Pennsylvania, presents “Using generative elements in music composition and performance.” His presentation focused on new generative tools and techniques that are affecting content creation within the music industry.
“Putting Generative AI to Work Creating Art & Literature” is a two-hour workshop led by Lou Judice, the founder and creative director of Hunterdon County-based web design company Round Mountain Group. He discusses applications for programs such as Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, and Dall-E.
It has been more than a quarter century since a computer first defeated a human chess master, and AI is a major contributor to the continuing evolution of the centuries-old board game. Current World Correspondence Chess Champion Jon Edwards’ presentation, “Chess and the Impact of Artificial Intelligence,” focuses on what AI means for the future of chess and for humans’ contributions to the game. Edwards, a 1975 Princeton University alumnus, previously worked for the university in computing and information technology and institutional communication.
Manuel Blanco, an electrical design engineer at ITW, discusses innovation in power supplies for electronic devices in “Introduction to Switch Mode Power Supplies.”
In “Generative AI and Micros” Bill Wong of Endeavor Business Media discusses the current state of running AI applications on microcontrollers and microprocessors rather than through the cloud.
“EPIC AI Failures; Two AI Medical Case studies, MYCIN and WATSON,” presented by Joe Jesson, co-founder of GE business Asset Intelligence and current CEO of the RFSigint Group, covers the failure of an early AI program meant to identify the specific bacteria causing an infection and the appropriate antibiotic to treat it and the failure of Microsoft’s Watson computer as a tool for answering significant medical problems.
Educational consultant Tim Arnold presents “Your Own Personal Spotify — The DIY Digital Audiophile” on how to configure an audio server that would offer internet-based access to your personal music collection anywhere in the world through an open source, Spotify-like server specific to you.
Michael Redlich of the Garden State Java User Group offers an introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), which includes widely used languages such as Java and C++. The following session features his “Introduction to Java” presentation.
Session 2: 11:20 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
“An Introduction to Generative Adversarial Networks,” is presented by Larry Pearlstein, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at TCNJ. His talk includes an overview of neural networks and highlights popular network architectures for GANs and challenges in training them.
“Electronic Music and AI,” a talk by Don Slepian of the Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project, features demonstrations of ways that AI can be applied to music composition and performance.
Aaron Nathans continues the music theme with “Zero-One Sunshine: Technology, As a Force for Good, As a Theme in Popular Music.” As the Philadelphia-based alternative folk singer-songwriter and recording artist points out in an abstract of his talk, “Computers and technology have both improved our lives and complicated them … And yet when it comes to popular music, the overwhelming majority of songs pile up on the negative side of the ledger.”
That bias notwithstanding, he continues, “almost all popular music is recorded into digital interfaces that allow for much better sound quality and sound-bending creativity, not to mention far more efficient distribution and easier consumption. In this lecture, I will discuss how I came to identify technology as a songwriting device that helps reveal who we are as human beings. I will present two original songs that explore how our lives are elevated by computers.”
For more on Nathans, see U.S. 1, September 14, 2022, and July 11, 2023.
Carl Scarpa of SiriusXM presents“SiriusXM Satellite Radio: A Technological Overview,” covering the history of satellite radio and SiriusXM’s current operations.
Eva Kaplan, a consultant on STEAM and computer education, presents “Sentient to Intelligent,” which offers real-life examples of AI in action through the lens of today’s bots as well as references to AI in popular media and comic books.
Adam Cunard, a TCNJ student studying technology and engineering, presents “How to Get Started in Combat Robotics,” a project of equal appeal to hobbyists and educators looking to infuse some fun into technology education.
“Krazy Keyboards,” presented by Drew University math and computer science professor Barry Burd, features a demonstration of unusual devices used for keyboard input.
Session 3: 12:25 to 1:20 p.m.
Joti Balani speaks on “Generative AI: The Evolution of Human-Machine Relationships.” After a 22-year corporate career in engineering and product development for companies like Citigroup and Johnson & Johnson, she founded Cedar Knolls-based Freshriver.ai, which helps business implement conversational AI. Her presentation explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of generative AI.
“Legal Issues with GenAI in Art and Music” is a discussion among attorneys Frederic Wilf, Joshua Waterston, and Lewis Sorokin of law firm Wilftek LLC moderated by computer security expert Rebecca Mercuri that covers intellectual property and other legal issues created by AI with examples from recent litigation. For more on Mercuri’s work related to computers and election security, see U.S. 1, February 6, 2019.
Donn Fishbein, chief AI strategist for Nquant, a developer of mechanical stock and futures trading systems, speaks on “Trading Using Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms.” The talk discusses how algorithmic trading systems can out-perform other strategies with aid from artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms.
“Recent Advances in Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft,” presented by engineering consultant Gaylord Olson, features new aircraft designs that improve on today’s helicopters with less noise, less cost, and less environmental impact. He presents the latest in designs for aircraft designated as eVTOL’s (electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft).
Theresa Wrobel of the Princeton Electric Bike Association covers “Electric Bikes: Past, Present, Future,” including their evolution, design challenges, and applications of AI. For more on Wrobel and Princeton eBikes, see U.S. 1, May 5, 2021.
Katalin Frolio, a consultant with Lockheed Martin, offers a hands-on “Arduino Workshop for Beginners” that will introduce participants to electronic devices and basic circuit theory.
Barry Burd returns for “Quantum Computing for Everyone,” offering a chance to watch quantum computer programming happen live using the IBM Quantum Lab or to try it from your own laptop.
Chuck Knight of ExxonMobil’s Corporate Research Center presents “Introduction to Python,” a popular programming language used in engineering and science contexts.
Session 4: 1:30 to 2:25 p.m.
Sarah Nagy, the founder and CEO of Seek AI, which offers products that leverage AI for data analytics, speaks on “Unlocking ROI on Data.” Per Nagy’s abstract, the talk address three questions: “First, what would a natural language interface for data actually look like? Second, what kind of value would it add to organizations using the Modern Data Stack? Third, what will the challenges look like when it comes to working with a natural language interface for data?”
Software engineer Larry Ward presents “Bing Image Creator: What is it, How Do You Use It, and Art Created With it,” including a demonstration of the free Microsoft service.
Data scientist and founder of User Experience Research LLC Josephine Giaimo speaks from personal experience in her presentation “AI User Notes,” in which she discusses non-generative AI implementations from her career and the lessons she has learned from them.
Frank O’Brien of Infoage Science Museum and NASA presents “The Most Important Computer You Never Heard Of,” a discussion of the SAGE system implemented in the 1950s to alert the U.S. military to the presence of Russian bombers.
Michael Strizki presents “The Hydrogen House Project,” the story of how he converted his Hopewell home to run on a unique solar-hydrogen system. He has also designed and installed such systems in the Caribbean and California. For more on Strizki, see U.S. 1, November 4, 2015.
Computer consultant Evan Williams presents “Embedded Development Using C++ on Arduino, Raspberry Pi and ESP32,” a discussion of object-oriented programming and techniques used to improve a code base.
Tech journalist Lee Goldberg returns to present “Speculations on AI, Co-Evolution, and the Future of Our Species,” his thoughts on whether the rapid of growth of AI is an exciting new era for humans or a sort of robot apocalypse, based on a conversation held with two pioneers in the field a quarter century ago.
Chuck Knight returns to present “Pythonic Object-Oriented Development,” covering the basic of the Python programming language.
Session 5: 2:35 to 3:30 p.m.
“Low Energy Sensor Platform – Leveraging Machine Learning,” is Joe Jesson’s presentation on applications of machine learning specific to the field of logistics.
Teresa M. Nakra, a professor of music, design, and creative technology at TCNJ, presents “Constructing Music,” which offers her new approach to teaching the fundamentals of music through creative coding.
TCF co-founder and professor of electrical and computer engineering Allen Katz presents “Computer Generated Lifeforms,” in which he discusses such as questions as “Could computers think in a way like humans? Is an electronic (computer) life form possible? Would such life forms want to communicate with us because of the huge difference in the speed of the processing elements that make up these systems?”
Linux expert Bob Murphy presents “An Introduction to Mastodon and the Fediverse,” respectively an open source social media platform and social network that are new and developing manifestations of the internet as it was originally envisioned.
Jonathan Allen of RF Electronics Consulting offers “Electronic Environmental Detectives,” explaining how electronics have aided in the fields of meteorology and environmental science, including ways to track and analyze climate change.
Stanislav Jaracz and Ashley Lynn Qua of the NJ Electric Vehicles Association present “EVs: Past, Present and Future,” reviewing the advancement of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.
Douglas Ferguson of DellEMC’s presentation is titled “Generating images with AI using midjourney bot,” a Discord-based tool that generates image from text descriptions.
A full schedule of talks, workshops, and other activities is available on the TCF website.
