January 14|25 2018
The future of blurred boundaries between humans and machines is a recurrent theme in science fiction. This future is today.
Join us for two weeks of discussions, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and cultural and recreational events that will inspire our shared vision for a brighter, human-machine future.
Is the future human?
Sensors monitor our state, health and behavior, relaying this data to configure a digital signature that is as much part of us as our biometric traits. Fed at petabyte levels, our digital signatures allow increasingly powerful machine learning algorithms to learn from the continuous data streams we generate and anticipate our needs and behaviors as consumers.
Machine learning algorithms can increasingly mimic the function of our brain and will soon establish a direct interface that allows for the seamless control of robots. Robots are endowed with powerful sensorial capacities in order to interact with other humans, as well as their robotic avatars, through virtual networks that may eventually replace much of our human-to-human interactions.
While this human-machine future offers to bring about unlimited potential, it also creates risks—of losing our privacy and the social traits inherent to our human nature. We live in a world where machines are increasingly embedded in our everyday lives. Machines shape our individual identities, social interactions, and society as a whole. During the 2018 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), we invite you to immerse yourself in a diverse and stimulating program, touching on the opportunities and risks of a future where the boundaries between machines and humans will become even more diffuse.
Advanced Running Academy 1/3
Location: Harbor Sports Club
Advanced runners, register now to improve your running techniques with an Olympic runner This advanced running academy is managed by Saudi Olympic professional runner, Abdullah A ... more
Program Your Own Swarm 1/3
Location: Bldg. 9 Computer Lab 2221 ≤ 18
Program Your Own Swarm of (Simulated) Robots Swarm robotics is the study of multi-robot systems inspired by animal collectives (e.g. ants and bees). One of the main ideas of swarm robotics is that th ... more
Build Your Sensor Network 3/4
Location: Bldg. 9 Computer Lab 2223 ≤ 36
Build Your Sensor Network Using Basic Sensors and ARM Microprocessors During this workshop, 25 participants will learn how to build a basic sensor network using set of sensors, BLE transceiver, ... more
The Science of Storytelling 3/5
Location: Spine Auditorium between Buildings 4 & 5
Science and technology have vital roles to play in helping solve the world’s great challenges Science and technology have great potential for solving local and global issues. In order to contri ... more
Make Your Stuff Talk: Workshop & Hackathon 1/5
Location: University Library, Level 3, Computer Lab 3134 ≤ 33
Workshop & Hackathon The modern interface between humans and machines is rapidly changing with new developments such as voice control, conversational user interfaces, as well as networked haptic ... more
Cornell Entrepreneurship 5/14
Location: Building 19, Level 3, Conference Hall 1 & 2
KAUST Cornell Entrepreneurship Program KAUST is pleased to announce a partnership with Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management to offer a certificate program in entrepreneurship. Thi ... more
Visualizing the Human Machine Future Exhibition - JAN 16
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
About this Exhibition This exhibition will focus on visualization from the viewer’s perspective and will showcase photographs and scientific illustrations. It will be dispalyed from& ... more
Knowing How to See Exhibition - JAN 16
Location: Al-Khawarizmi East (Bldg. 1), Entrance Hall
Photography is a Bridge Between Art and Mathematics The starting point of this exhibition is to translate the language and the insights of mathematics into photographic images and vice versa. ... more
Facebook On-Air Interview with Elizabeth Churchill
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
The KAUST Facebook On-Air Series with Elizabeth Churchill *Speaker to be confirmed Currently a Director of User Experience at Google, Elizabeth Churchill is an applied social scientist working ... more
Tilt Brush Instructor Workshop JAN 16
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
Paint Inside a Virtual World with Google Tilt Brush Virtual reality is at the frontier of novel human machine interfaces. At this interactive exhibit you can paint inside a virtual world. By e ... more
A keynote lecture by Fahad A. Alsherehy
Location: Bldg. 20 Auditorium ≤ 912
A keynote lecture by Fahad A. Alsherehy, VP- Technology & Innovation, SABIC. *Speaker to be confirmed SABIC is a global leader in diversified chemicals headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ... more
Swarm Robotics Lecture
Location: Bldg. 9 Lecture Hall 2325 ≤ 154
Swarm robotics is an approach to the design of multi-robot systems, which takes inspiration from social insects such as bees and ants. These insects modify their environments by moving resources to s ... more
Cornell Entrepreneurship 6/14
Location: Building 19, Level 3, Conference Hall 1 & 2
KAUST Cornell Entrepreneurship Program KAUST is pleased to announce a partnership with Cornell University’s Johnson School of Management to offer a certificate program in entrepreneurship. Thi ... more
Writing From the Reader's Perspective 3/4
Location: Bldg. 9 Classroom 3131 ≤ 42
Improve your scientific writing skills What is the purpose of a scientific article? Is it the mere presentation or rather communication of information and thought? An article describing a great scie ... more
Lab View Workshop 1
Location: Spine Auditorium between Buildings 2 & 3
NI Data Acquisition Workshop Mandatory Requirements: LabVIEW 2017: http://www.ni.com/download/labview-development-system-2017/6679/en/ DAQmx 2017: http://www.ni.com/download/ni-daqm ... more
Interactive Virtual Reality Art Exhibit: Google Tilt Brush - JAN 16
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
Paint Inside a Virtual World with Google Tilt Brush Virtual reality is at the frontier of novel human machine interfaces. At this interactive exhibit you can paint inside a virtual world. By e ... more
Learn fundamental STEM with Lego simple and powered machines
Location: WEP HUB (University Library)
During this workshop, 30 participants will explore design engineering and fundamental STEM understanding;This 3-hours workshop will cover: - An introduction of the Simple and Powered Machines ... more
Finding Shark Attacks in Data Streams
Location: Bldg. 9 Lecture Hall 2322 ≤ 154
Finding Shark Attacks in Data Streams (Using Machine Learning to Detect Anomalies) In this lecture, Sebastian Steinke, a software engineer at KAUST who started to learn Machine Learning via self-dire ... more
Industry Research Teams in the Age of Intelligent Systems
Location: Bldg. 9 Lecture Hall 2325 ≤ 154
Make it or Break it: Industry Research Teams in the Age of Intelligent Systems In this lecture, A.I. researcher Luis Sarmento, will be focusing on a special type of research teams that are being crea ... more
The Past, Present and Future of Human Computer Interaction
Location: Bldg. 20 Auditorium ≤ 912
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) focuses on how people interact with, and are transformed by computation. Our current technology landscape is changing rapidly. Interactive applications, devices ... more
About this Movie *This movie projection is offered exclusively to KAUST community members and is rated PG 13. A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and ... more
Beginners Running Academy 1/3
Location: Harbor Sports Club
Beginner runners, register now to improve your running techniques with an Olympic runner This beginners academy is managed by Saudi Olympic professional runner, Abdullah Alj ... more