Announcing the final agenda for the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

We’re thrilled to announce that the agenda for our dedicated AI Stage presented by Google Cloud to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is complete and ready to go! It joins fintech, SaaS, and space as the other industry-focused stages — all under one big roof.

We couldn’t possibly host TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 without a huge deep dive into all things artificial intelligence. So, without further ado, here is our final agenda for the AI Stage, happening all day on Wednesday, October 30. As a classic TechCrunch stage, we have some of the nascent industry’s heavy hitters, like Perplexity, Meta, Hugging Face, and Zoox, alongside academics, thought leaders, and our partners like Nebius AI, MongoDB, HP, and Thomson Reuters.

The AI Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

How Generative AI Is Flooding the Web with Disinformation

with Imran Ahmed (CCDH), Brandie Nonnecke (UC Berkeley), and Pamela San Martin (Oversight Board)

As generative AI tools become more widely available — and become cheaper, or even free, to use — they’re being abused by an array of actors, including state actors, to create deepfakes and sow disinformation online. In this session, we’ll hear from experts about the types of deepfakes now circulating the web and some possible ways to combat the threat.

“Open” or “Closed” AI — Is One Really Better?

with Ali Farhadi (Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence), Irene Solaiman (Hugging Face), and Shane Witnov (Meta)

There’s a war brewing in the AI industry between the supporters of open source AI models — models released under permissive licenses that can be fine-tuned and repurposed for a range of applications — and closed source models, or models gated behind paid services and APIs. Is one approach better than the other? The answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might think.

The AI Clouds Race: What’s Behind the Scenes

Sponsored by Nebius AI

with Roman Chernin (Nebius AI)

The fast-growing AI market is not only giving rise to new AI startups but is also fostering the emergence of specialist vendors. Competition among cloud providers in the AI space is fierce. Roman will share how Nebius is navigating this race, what is driving the company’s rapid growth, and what it takes to support AI disruptors.

AI on Wheels with Zoox

with Jesse Levinson

Before generative AI took center stage, the burgeoning autonomous vehicle technology industry was where many machine learning and AI experts played. Zoox co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson, who has been in the thick of it for a decade, is now preparing the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company for its next big adventure.

Navigating AI’s Legal and Ethical Minefield

with Aleksandra Pedraszewska (ElevenLabs), Sarah Myers West (AI Now), Jingna Zhang (Cara)

AI’s meteoric rise has created new ethical dilemmas and exacerbated old ones, while lawsuits drop left and right. This threatens both new and established AI companies, and the creators and workers whose labor feeds the models. A panel of experts in AI, copyright, and ethics take on this complex and fast-moving problem space.

What Does AI Governance Look Like Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond?

with Elizabeth Kelly (U.S Department of Commerce) and Scott Wiener (California Senate)

AI development continues at a breakneck pace, but how fast is too fast? In this fireside, U.S. AI Safety Institute Director Elizabeth Kelly and California state senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), the architect of California’s controversial AI safety bill SB 1047, talk about the need to balance AI innovation with safeguards.

From Search Engines to Knowledge Engines: Perplexity’s Rush Toward an AI-Curated Web

with Aravind Srinivas (Perplexity)

Perplexity’s AI-powered search engine might be the next stage of interacting with the web and knowledge in general — or not. But the company is certainly risking it all to manifest that future, even if it ruffles a few feathers along the way. Hear from the CEO how the company plans to take on all comers in this new category of tech.

But Is It Art? Generative AI’s Evolving Role in Music and Video Production

with Amit Jain (Luma AI), Mikey Shulman (Suno), and Kakul Srivastava (Splice)

Generative AI is increasingly capable of creating video, music, and other media on demand. But who actually wants it, and why? This panel of AI startups will discuss the growing markets for generative media and how they can be served without harming or displacing the artists they claim to empower.

About TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is where you’ll find innovation for every stage of your startup journey. Whether you’re a budding founder with a revolutionary idea, a seasoned startup looking to scale, or an investor seeking the next big thing, TechCrunch Disrupt offers unparalleled resources, connections, and expert insights to propel your venture forward. Over 10,000 startup, tech, and VC leaders will be attending this year’s event from October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco.

We can’t wait to hear from these AI leaders at this year’s show. Purchase your tickets here before prices go up at the door.