SIGGRAPH 2024: what to expect from this year's computer graphics conference

SIGGRAPH 2024 will see three days of big-name talks and demonstrations on production and animation, arts, design, gaming and new technologies at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from 28 July to 1 August. And generative AI is sure to be top of the agenda.

Now in its 51st year, the annual event remains at the forefront of innovation in computer graphics and interactive technique. This year will feature some big name appearances, and the line up gives a taste of what we can expect the focus to be.

The headline keynote at SIGGRAPH 2024 will be the rare joint public appearance of Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang and Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday 29 July at 4 pm MDT. We're told that they'll discuss the future of AI and simulation, the pivotal role of research in AI breakthroughs, and how open-source generative AI can empower developers and creators. They’ll also reflect on the role of generative AI in building virtual worlds, and how virtual worlds can build the next wave of AI and robots.

AI is likely to feature highly elsewhere. As well as this fireside chat, there will be keynote presentations from Dr. Dava Newman of MIT Media Lab, Dr. Mark Sagar from Soul Machines and Manu Prakash with Stanford University, sharing perspectives on the future of technology and computer graphics. See the full schedule on the website.

SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference Chair Andres Burbano promises a "very good balance between the scientific content and the experiential quality of the installations and exhibits" this year. The Experience Hall will explore the evolution of technology, while the SIGGRAPH Exhibition will showcase new advances. There will also be an Art Gallery, the networking space ACM SIGGRAPH Village and various panels and production Sessions, while the Immersive Pavilion will focus on AR, VR, MR, interactive projection mapping and multi-sensory technologies.

This year's ACM SIGGRAPH Village will feature sessions on Melding Technology and Performance with Digerati Emergent Media Festival director Sharifa Lafon and artists Nima Behrahmand, Laurids Sonne,and August Black, and Women in CG with Ellen Yi-Luen Do, Yoon Chung Han and Dana Corrigan.

What is SIGGRAPH?

Launched in 1974 in Boulder, Colorado, SIGGRAPH is a conference dedicated to innovation in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Over the years, it has seen revolutionary demonstrations, such as the Aspen Movie Map, a precursor to Google Street View, and one of the first screenings of Pixar’s Luxo Jr.

SIGGRAPH has been a leading venue for research in computer graphics, with many influential publications debuting at the event, from Ed Catmull’s 1974 paper on texture mapping to Turner Whitted’s 1980 paper on ray-tracing techniques and James T. Kajiya’s 1986 paper on The Rendering Equation – all innovations that went on to transform the sector.

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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.