Event Summary

For our May online book discussion, Austin Forum Executive Director Jay Boisseau will lead us in a conversation about the book “The Spatial Web: How Web 3.0 Will Connect Humans, Machines and AI to Transform the World”. Authors Dan Mapes and Gabriel René dive into the world wide web’s past, present, and future in this illuminating and optimistic global call to action. Understanding the web’s development and the Internet’s dark sides that have sprouted with these developments, provides society the opportunity to anticipate what is in the future and prepare for it. While there are potential risks to AI, AR and VR, robotics, IoT, and more, Mapes and René explore how the convergence of these technologies with human cognition will foster the Spatial Web, an iteration of the web that holds the Internet and its players accountable in a way it hasn’t before. The authors are optimistic that this is an inevitable evolution of the Internet but recognize and demand the cooperation of companies, governments, and individuals in ethical practices, social codes, and protocols. Web 3.0 offers exciting possibilities that promise a connected and sustainable future if we make the right decisions about the Spatial Web now. Join us as we discuss these possibilities and the steps of how we get there.

Moderator

Jay Boisseau, Executive Director, Austin Forum on Technology & Society

Jay Boisseau is an experienced, recognized leader and strategist in advanced computing technologies, with over 25 years in the field. Jay is the executive director and founder of The Austin Forum on Technology & Society, which he created in 2006 and is the leading monthly technology outreach and engagement event in Austin--and now attracts national and international attendees online. The Austin Forum is one of the pillars of the Austin tech scene, providing connections to information, ideas, collaborations, and community overall. In addition, Jay is CEO, co-founder (June 2014), and a partner in Vizias, a small team of passionate professionals with expertise in high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), technology community building, and technology outreach & event planning. Vizias staff lead, execute, and support the Austin Forum through Vizias Research, Education, and Outreach, a non-profit dedicated to using technology for positive social impact. Jay has held previous leadership positions at Dell Technologies, the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin, the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center. He received his doctorate in astronomy from UT Austin, and his undergraduate degree in astronomy and physics from the University of Virginia.