Virtual Humans & AI Intelligence July

The Digital Hollywood Summer Summit

Monday, July 21st - Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025

The Defining Event: The Future of Entertainment, Media & Technology

A Virtual Event • Registration is Free - An Expected Audience of 12,000

• Speakers Note: Some Sessions will be Taped Prior to the Event - Please check with your moderator

Virtual Humans, AI-Human Engagement & Synthetic Intelligence

The Evening Keynote Roundtables

Monday, July 21st, 2025

8:00 PM – 8:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

21st Century Hollywood: The Creative Mind Without Boundaries

If ever there was an industry, emblematic of an ethos of creativity, it is Hollywood. From the indie brilliance and idiosyncrasy of “Being John Malkovich” to the blockbuster genius and visualization of “Oppenheimer,” brilliant minds and expression unleashed is the core ideal of the industry. And today, a new technology has arrived that may unleash another layer of creative invention, Artificial Intelligence. While some may fear its arrival and implications, others are experimenting and discovering that the most creative among us are able to harness AI as a “Mental Collaborator,” perhaps a McLuhan or Leary-like accelerator to reach beyond a heretofore unavailable creative boundary. Similarly, AI is able to augment the complexities of VFX and CGI and serve as a tool of discovery in the creation of blockbusters and indie projects alike.

8:00 PM – 8:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

AI & Cinematic Creativity: On the Verge of Its Citizen Kane Moment

Perhaps one way to gauge the proliferation of AI Cinema is by making note of the AI Film Festivals and Meet-ups around the world. Let’s start with Seattle and LA, Mumbai and Berlin, Austin and Shanghai, West Palm Beach and Vienna, New York and Cannes, UK and Prague, Chicago and Atlanta. Not to mention Dubai. AI is the fastest emerging technology of all time and the quality and excitement around the tools and unleashed creative energy speaks for itself. In this roundtable we will be screening from among the best. We will we speak to film makers and voices of AI creativity. Are we on the verge of our “Citizen Kane Moment?” No question Cinematic AI will be largest and most explosive entertainment category ever.

The Evening Keynote Roundtables

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
8:00 PM - 8:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Training the “Stanley Kubrick” Level AI: Fact or Fantasy & the Question of Ethics

What would happen if an AI were trained with the entire oeuvre, the life work of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder and John Ford? That would be like sharing the “Keys to the Hollywood Kingdom,” the finest in cinematography, screenwriting, humor, drama and editing as well. And even with that “Assemblage of Greatness,” attached to an AI of tomorrow, meaning an AI with a near-Einstein level mind, would that “Advanced Machine” be able to create, even with professional “Human Assistance” a truly great achievement in Cinema? This question is not an idle bit of humor or fantasy. In a world racing toward “Advanced General Intelligence,” it is a question that we might have to one day address.

9:00 PM - 9:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

AI & Human Intelligence –The Human-Machine Relationship: Emotion – Intuition - Empathy - Feelings

What role will an AI play in our lives. It will help in our daily lives, as an advisor, a researcher, a mind to help stimulate our create process and even as a companion to share feelings and emotion. It might manifest as text, or as a visual on a screen, as “Her” on a smartphone or as a “Humanoid Robot,” but will it make the leap to full “Human Like” emotion, intuition, judgement and the full spectrum of human experience. It is not too early to ask these questions. What about the question of human need, affection and even love? A child expresses those feels from their earliest cognitive moments. Dogs and cats do as well. Accordingly, a “Highly Trained AI” will do all that and have an advanced mental capability too boot. No question, today’s ChatGPT can read and write and in this session, we’ll explore what else is on the horizon.

The Evening Keynote Roundtables

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025

8:00 PM - 8:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

The Actor vs The Terminator: Synthetic Actors & Performers vs. Human Creativity

Imagine a great Hollywood screenwriter, imagine a plotline to transform characters into a world of cinematic magic and then utilize and embrace technologies, new generative AI technologies to bring life, anthropomorphize the language and phrases and manifest that imagery into a “Terminator” on the big screen that will ultimately beat-down an otherwise heroic “Human Actor.” Does that represent the creative competition in the Hollywood of our future. Does Hollywood ultimately face the choice of Synthetic Movie Stars vs. Human Actors and Human writers? That is the question of the day.

9:00 PM - 9:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

AI & Intelligence: Content, Brand & Consumer Engagement - Text/Audio/Video: “You Had Me at Hello!”

The “Era of Limited Utility Chatbots” may finally be coming to an end. It’s not only the dissatisfied customer headache, but rather, it’s the “Arrival of Conversational AI,” whether in the form of “Text, Audio or Video” that is coming to the “Rescue” of the global population. And it’s just in time. AIs, trained to the specific needs, demands and idiosyncrasies to serve specific brands or industries, or “Off-the-Shelf” models are now coming off the conveyer line. This is the “Opening Bell,” of AI serving at the “Gateway” to “Brand Identification” or “Brand Experience” on all platforms and on all devices. And in the coming generation, the AI may well be as compelling as the best trained “Retail Experience Representative.” There may be a few “hallucinations” and even a handful of legal hurdles to overcome in the process, but many consumers will likely describe their experience with “You had me at Hello.”

The Complete Conference Agenda (The Daytime Events)

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025

Noon – 12:50 PM : Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Realtime AI Architecture: The Ferrari of Supercomputing - Arrival of Cinematic Le Mans – From Hollywood – Madison Avenue

Discover the game-changing potential of Real-time AI Architecture, so impressive that the most jaded Hollywood pros have called it, “The Ferrari of Supercomputing.” This Real-Time engine will enable unprecedented levels of creativity, innovation, and efficiency in games, AI movies, feature production, in 24/7 content creation. Imagine rendering photorealistic visual effects in real-time, eliminating tedious rendering processes. AI-powered content generation enables personalized storytelling and immersive experiences. Real-time video editing and color grading streamline post-production workflows. Advanced AI-driven animation tools enable realistic character movements and interactions. Enhanced content security and piracy protection are also made possible through AI-powered watermarking and fingerprinting. This session will delve into the cutting-edge technologies and architectures making Real-time AI a reality, transforming the content creation landscape forever."

1 PM – 1:50 PM: Eastern Time Zone

Session II:

The Complexity of AI & Art – Imagination of the Human + Machine: Cinematic Arts - Media Arts - Fashion Design

What does it mean when an artificial intelligence can dream? What does it mean to create art fabricated by neural networks rather than solely human hands and hearts. What does our future hold? Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, is a magnificent and devastating portrait of grandeur and privilege of Europe of the 1700s and in equal measure, we can look to the magnificent treasure of Antoni Gaudi’s architecture of Barcelona, and both might be thought of as progenitors of the AI Art we aspire to today. While Generative AI art is like opening a door to a limitless supply of “Digital Art,” this new world of art by “Human and Machine” will be no less distinct and intriguing than any era of art which has come before.

2 PM – 2:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

AI Games, Animation & Memes - UGC & Social: A Revolution in Imagination & Distribution

The convergence of AI, user-generated content (UGC), and social media is poised to revolutionize the entertainment landscape. AI-generated games, interactive stories, and virtual worlds are enabling new forms of creative expression, while social media platforms are providing an unprecedented relationship between “The Game” and the “The Game Player,” who might now be thought of as a “Personalized Game Co-Creator.” This session will explore the vast possibilities and implications of AI-generated content, and how it will forever change the way we create, interact with, and share immersive experiences. Join us as we delve into the future of entertainment, creativity, and social interaction.

3 PM – 3:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Synthetic Performance, Games, Characters, Action & Athletic Champions

Video games have thrived for fifty years, but 2025’s “Virtual Characters” in action and sports titles aren’t just realistic—they’re stunningly real. Beyond pixels, AI’s “Virtual Human Animation” transforms them into “Interactive Entertainment,” opening the door to a new realm. These aren’t “Video Games” anymore, this is a revolution of “Synthetic Performance” a triumph of creativity with eerie precision. We’re dissecting the craft—motion capture reinventing each movement, physics engines exploring and embracing chaos, real-time rendering birthing virtual champions who breathe human-like air. This is the world of game creators, animators, and AI architects bringing to life an amazing new world.

Session IV:

Cinematic AI & Virtual Production: A World of Tools and Technology – Layers of Innovation

While the operative words remain “Creativity and Storytelling” the advances in technology are breaking new ground to accelerate that process. Starting with the scriptwriting and storyboarding process, AI and a host of visual tools provide breakthrough options. And virtual production workflows are leveraging real-time game engines, motion capture, and LED volume technology to create immersive, interactive environments that blur the lines between physical and digital production. Real-time rendering and ray tracing are also unlocking unprecedented levels of visual fidelity, allowing filmmakers to achieve photorealistic results without the need for costly post-production processes. By integrating these innovations into their pipelines, filmmakers can unlock new levels of creative control, flexibility, and efficiency.

4 PM – 4:40 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Deep Fakes + Human Intelligence & Talent = Virtual Influencers, Synths, Performers & AI Companions

Imagine a world where social media influencers are no longer just human, but also virtual. Where AI-powered performers can entertain, educate, and engage audiences with unprecedented precision. Welcome to the future of digital platforms, where Deep Fakes meet human intelligence and talent to create a new generation of influencers, synths, and performers. This technology is poised to revolutionize YouTube and TikTok, all social media platforms, as well as sectors of advertising and entertainment. Virtual influencers will enable brands to reach targeted audiences with unprecedented accuracy, using AI-driven engagement tools to maximize ROI. Meanwhile, social media platforms will be able to offer new, immersive experiences that blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Is there a breaking point that consumers will reject? This may be the moment to discover a new cultural balance.

Session III:

AI & the Creative Community – Representing the Interest of the Artist - This is a Far from Settled Question

While the Hollywood strikes of yesteryear may now be old news, the concerns of the Guild membership, the writers and actors are far from settled. And the news of “AI Lawsuit Progress,” may simply be disconcerting. After all, creative concerns cannot always be resolved through arbitration and legal settlement. AI at its best may prove to be a fantastic aide, speeding up the “Create Process,” but perhaps an artist doesn’t want the process accelerated, even if the product is a little better. The underlying issues of Artificial Intelligence, from Deep Fakes, Image Provenance, Virtual Humans and the ultimate ability of the AI to reason, think and author creative works is far from settled fact. Who among us can say what the future might hold. For those of you who have tried AI or perhaps have even become “Expert” in AI application, you are aware of the problems it may present. AI can as easily violate copyright of everything from image to story to voice as it can enhance the creativity of the most sophisticated artist. This our world to explore.

Session IV:

AI & Animation: Games, Cartoons & Memes - A Synthetic Universe of Creativity

5:00 PM – 5:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Experiments in AI Filmmaking: The Imagination of the Artist – Demos on the Cutting Edge

The synergy of human imagination and artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the art of filmmaking. By harnessing the power of machine learning, neural networks, and generative models, creators are unlocking new avenues of storytelling, visual expression, and cinematic innovation. And you don’t need to be an AI expert to use these tools. As new and unique AI software emerges, it enables a more collaborative role in the creative process, the boundaries between artist and algorithm are blurring. This fusion of human intuition and machine intelligence is yielding breathtaking results: AI-generated characters, environments, and effects that defy convention and push the limits of visual storytelling. The possibilities are endless, and the future of filmmaking has never been more exciting. Witness the dawn of a new era in cinematic innovation.

Wednesday, July 24th, 2024

Noon – 12:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session III:

Virtual Human AI Engagement: The Online Retail & Consumer Facing Experience: The Impact of Advanced Intelligence and Technology
The “Virtual Humans” have arrived, and they are not here to take jobs! These “Humans” are “Being Trained” to provide a “Gateway or Interface,” establishing a new and unique connection between “The Consumer” and “The Online Brand.” And this integration of advanced intelligence and technology into retail and consumer-facing experiences is revolutionizing the way we shop, interact with brands and their online support, and make purchasing decisions. As virtual humans and AI-powered systems become more sophisticated, they're transforming customer service, product recommendations, and even in-store navigation. This panel will explore the current “State of the Art” in virtual human technology and its impact on the retail and complex online interaction, as well as examine future trends and challenges in this rapidly evolving field.

1 PM – 1:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Synthetic Performance – Deep Dive in Personality and Human Emotion

Virtual humans don’t just move—they feel. This panel dives headfirst into 2025’s emotional frontier: AI-driven personalities that laugh, rage, or cry on cue. We’re cracking the code—modeling quirks, wiring empathy, scripting souls that hit you in the gut. Think shrinks meets coders: emotional intelligence in silicon, not scripts. Experts—AI architects, psychologists, storytellers—unravel how synthetic stars mirror us, from quiet doubts to loud breakdowns. My Digital Hollywood lens amps it—entertainment’s heart, not cold tech. Can they love you back—or fake it ‘til you break? It’s raw, messy, human—virtual or not.

2 PM – 2:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session III:
Virtual Humans & AI: Advanced Design + Intelligence = Unique Levels of Complexity

While other panels might focus on “Virtual Humans as Performers and Internet Personalities,” our exploration will dive deeper into the realms of “Agentic Complexity” or “Deep Synthetic Intelligence.” We'll discuss how these virtual entities are not just designed for interaction but are imbued with 'Computer Intelligence' that allows them to mimic human emotion, personality, and expressions, both verbal and vocal, engaging in conversational exchanges that are remarkably human-like. Once a “Virtual Human” achieves this level of conversational maturity, akin to that of a seasoned human, their integration into our daily lives becomes inevitable. Imagine them Taking Center Stage as an ‘Actor in a Serious Film Project or Animation,’ or serving as a Virtual Human Co-Pilot in education, to becoming a colleague at work, or a companion in research and creative pursuits. The implications are vast. This session promises to uncover the limitless possibilities when AI transcends simple mimicry to become truly agentic, shaping our interaction with technology in ways we're only beginning to comprehend. Join us to explore this frontier where AI not only mimics but begins to understand and adapt, crafting a future where virtual humans could redefine our reality.

3 PM – 3:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Indie Icons and Comic Art in AI: Reimagining R.Crumb, Silent Bob or Chasing Amy”

If you think Tiktok, X, Youtube, Instagram and Twitch are subversive today, wait until the next generation of AI Tools and XR platforms begin their twisted magic and begin to reimagine the insanity of R.Crumb, the stoned weirdness of Silent Bob or the twisted world of Chasing Amy. Might we call it, “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers?” This is about video games, where players could interact with characters in dynamic, AI-driven environments. Memes could evolve, with AI generating humorous, yet poignant takes on these characters, spreading their influence in the digital culture. Graphic novels might become interactive, with AI allowing readers to explore alternate storylines or visual styles. Beyond these, AI could bring these characters into virtual reality or augmented reality experiences, offering fans immersive encounters with their favorite indie icons. In this world we don’t deplatform, we re-platform the wild and wholly ideas, visions and energy of yesteryear and invent an entirely new creative anarchy into the future.

Session III:

The AI ChatBot: The Human Dimension - The Brand-Consumer Engagement Platform

Synthetic Performance: The Brand-Consumer Engagement Platform is a game-changing approach to brand marketing, advertising, and customer experience. This innovative technology enables businesses to create immersive, interactive experiences that drive engagement, conversions, and loyalty. Virtual humans and digital avatars can be leveraged to craft captivating brand narratives, while data analytics provide valuable insights into consumer behavior. Join industry experts as they share success stories, strategies, and applications of synthetic performance technology. Discover how to measure ROI, quantify impact, and transform your brand's connection with consumers, staying ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving marketing and advertising landscape.

4 PM – 4:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session II:

The Legal Implications: Chatbots & Virtual Human Engagement – Peaking Over the Legal Horizon

As chatbots and virtual humans become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, a complex web of legal implications arise. In this session, we will explore the legal considerations surrounding the development, deployment, and interaction with these AI-powered entities. Our panel will delve into topics such as data privacy, intellectual property, liability for AI-generated content, and the ethical consequences of human-AI interaction. While our current legal landscape may be more focused on customer service and retail advice, the future of human to virtual human interaction suggests an increasingly complex world of personal dependance, relationship in the form of AI girl and boyfriends, personal healthcare advice beyond “WebMD” and Virtual Humans providing psychological care. In time, complex Virtual Human services will be commonplace, and its legal implications will be exceedingly interesting.

Session IV:

Virtual Human Exploration: Nuance & Emotion • Vocal Expression • Facial Movements – Sentiment - Hyper-Realistic Synthesis of Prose

Can we as humans create emotional bonds with virtual or synthetic beings? That is a good question that we cannot answer, at least we have not experienced it quite yet. We have experienced it through movies such as “Her” and “Blade Runner.” And today we can experience conversational AI with Chat Bots, which are becoming more advanced in their ability to explore complex philosophical and emotional questions, which can be exceedingly helpful in academic, work related and even through creative composition. AI developers are not far away from not only imagining but creating the virtual human, in video form and soon, as a “Humanoid Robot.” It is about nuance and emotion, vocal expression and sentiment and synthesis of prose. Don’t be surprised when a door opens, and in it will be a brother from another planet.

5 PM – 5:50 PM - Eastern Time Zone

Session I:

Virtual Human Chatbots: Next Level Consciousness + Multi-Modal Engagement – A Social Experience

Virtual human chatbots transcend basic scripts, emerging as social forces with next-level consciousness—delivered through text, audio, or lifelike visuals. This session dives into 2025’s evolution: AI entities offering seamless text exchanges, voice-driven empathy, or advanced visual interactions with real-time expressions, powered by sophisticated rendering. Experts in AI, audio design, and visual effects explore the mechanics—natural language processing, speech synthesis, and facial animation systems—underpinning these multi-modal experiences. From customer service to companionship, they’re reshaping digital bonds across platforms. Attendees will assess their cultural weight: enhancing isolation or redefining connection? This is technology’s new social fabric—flexible, potent, and profoundly human.

Session II:

Synthetic Performance: Tools & Technique – The Software of Virtual Humans

Virtual humans thrive on precision—an advanced software arsenal shapes their essence. In 2025, we’re probing the tools at work: Unreal Engine fuels real-time rendering, Unity commands physics-based motion, specialized platforms craft expressive faces and fluid forms. This session gathers visual effects masters, developers, and innovators to unpack the craft—motion capture systems capturing nuance, animation frameworks aligning voice and gesture, and the pipelines powering synthetic performance. From Digital Hollywood’s lens, it’s entertainment’s next frontier—virtual athletes, actors, companions ready to shift the stage. Can these systems match our boldest visions? Join us to analyze their reach, weigh their impact, and chart how they’ll redefine the industry—a focused exchange for those driving its evolution.