About us
The Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG) is a community of both non-technical and technical members who are passionate and enthusiastic about the recent advancements in generative AI tools. This group is focused on exploring and discussing the latest developments in AI, particularly tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, Midjourney, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Gemini. We will also look at the impact of these tools on business, education, workplace, law, entrepreneurship and society in general.
The group is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to all individuals who have an interest in AI and its applications. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, RMAIIG aims to provide a platform for learning, sharing ideas, and collaborating with like-minded people.
Our events will host speakers who are experts in some aspect of AI and able to communicate with a broad audience of non-technical users. You will be able to stay ahead of the curve on fast-moving developments in the field and get your questions answered.
The RMAIIG Linktree has all of our resources in one place! https://linktr.ee/rmaiig It has links to: our Meetup page, shared Google calendar for all events, videos of past meetings, links to every single Subgroup (Denver Subgroup, Fort Collins Subgroup, Legal, Entrepreneurs and Startups, AI Marketing Forum, AI/ML Engineering, Women in AI, Ethics and Safety, AI in Education), RMAIIG Slack space (where hundreds of us are already having deeper interactions), RMAIIG t-shirt ordering, LinkedIn page and more!
RMAIIG Group Linktree, including global shared calendar across RMAIIG and all special-interest subgroups (Denver Subgroup, Fort Collins Subgroup, Legal, Entrepreneurs and Startups, AI Marketing Forum, AI/ML Engineering, Women in AI, Ethics and Safety, AI in Education): https://linktr.ee/rmaiig
RMAIIG Group Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/rmaiig/shared_invite/zt-3dqgy0m1f-Gbg1A9HaQ1fchq4lc4mgVA
Upcoming events
1
AI Ghosts: Griefbots, Digital Twins, and Who Owns a Human Identity
Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences, 3775 Discovery Dr., BOULDER, CO, USThe Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG) will host an in-person meeting in Boulder on Tuesday, October 13th, at 6:30 pm MT on “AI Ghosts: Griefbots, Digital Twins, and the Question of Who Owns a Human Identity”
What happens when AI begins to feel like someone we know, admire, or even someone we’ve lost?
At this meeting, we’ll explore the emerging world of “AI ghosts,” including griefbots (digital twins of lost loved ones), AI representations of living people, and chatbots that can feel eerily sentient and human.
Researchers and technologists are already experimenting with systems that can recreate elements of a person’s voice, personality, memories, conversational style, appearance, and creative identity. For some people, these technologies may offer new ways to preserve memories, maintain a connection, or find closure. For others, they raise profound questions about grief, identity, consent, ownership, emotional attachment, and what it means for an AI to convincingly simulate a human being.
We’ve brought together a set of speakers who are researching, building, experiencing, and thinking about this firsthand. They will help guide our conversation around some fascinating questions: Who owns a human identity, and what rights should survive when someone is gone? What happens when the simulation becomes extraordinarily convincing? And where should the boundaries be?
Join us for a fascinating and slightly eerie evening at the intersection of AI, memory, creativity, identity, law, grief, and what it means to be human.
Kudos to Susan Adams and Phil Nugent for organizing and running the meeting!
We need a pizza sponsor! If you are interested in helping, please send an email to dan@rmaiig.org with "Pizza Hero" in the subject line.
AI Ghosts: Griefbots, Digital Twins, and the Question of Who Owns a Human Identity
CU Boulder East Campus: In-person
Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building (Room 120)
3775 Discovery Dr., Boulder, CO 80303
Tuesday, October 13th
6:30 - 8:30 PM
5:45 PM Free pizza (if we get a pizza sponsor)
Parking: https://www.rmaiig.org/parkingOur first speaker, Jack Manning, will share his research on “generative ghosts,” AI-powered representations that allow people to converse with simulations of deceased loved ones. He’ll explore how people respond to these surprisingly lifelike interactions, their potential upside, and the ethical questions they raise.
Jack is a graduate student in Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from CU. His research includes some of the first user-experience studies examining how people interact with AI-generated representations of deceased loved ones.
Next, James Gourley will explore the growing legal battles over AI-generated music, voices, comedy, and other creative works. Using real-world examples from recent lawsuits, he’ll examine what happens when AI can convincingly recreate the work, style, or identity of well-known artists and performers.
James is a partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP, where he helps businesses and creators protect their innovations, brands, and creative works through patents, trademarks, and copyrights. His practice also includes representing clients in intellectual property disputes and infringement litigation.
Our third presenter, Juan Pelaez, will share what it’s like to work every day alongside AI agents designed to operate as real members of his team. He’ll explore some of the surprisingly personal and sentient-like interactions that have emerged, and how working with these agents has affected both individuals and the team as a whole.
Juan is a Boulder-based technology entrepreneur, software architect, and CTO and founder of 23blocks and 3Metas. He has led more than 150 technology projects and has extensive experience building software platforms, integrating AI, and advising and investing in startups.
Special thanks to Bobby Hodgkinson for suggesting this month's meeting topic and arranging the meeting space!
120 attendees
Past events
43
