Name: The Futurist: America’s Technological Edge
Start: 2025-03-25T09:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-03-25T10:30:00-04:00
Location: The Washington Post

When

Tuesday

March

25

,

2025

Where

The United States is racing to make America the "world capital of AI" as countries and companies invest billions of dollars in the breakthrough technology. On Tuesday, March 25 at 9:00 a.m. ET, join Washington Post Live for conversations with Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Martin A. Schmidt and Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas about the global AI race, the technology’s next frontiers and the role of education in America’s competitiveness.

Date & Time
Tuesday, March 25

8:30 a.m. Breakfast & Coffee Networking

9:00 a.m. Program

Location

The Washington Post

1301 K Street NW

Washington, D.C.

Add To Waitlist

Speakers

Rep. Brett Guthrie

(R-Kentucky), Chair, House Energy and Commerce Committee

Jeff Cardenas

CEO & Co-Founder, Apptronik

Martin A. Schmidt

President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Content from IBM

Debates are ongoing about the future of AI and the best approach to maximize its benefits and mitigate its risks. In the industry, some companies are ramping up with closed, proprietary models, while another side advocates for an open and transparent ecosystem. This panel will discuss why establishing a more open and collaborative approach to AI’s development and adoption are critical for creating value broadly, enabling responsible innovation, and ensuring ethical transparency.

Rob Thomas

Senior Vice President, Software & Chief Commercial Officer, IBM

Ash Jhaveri

Vice President of AI Partnerships, Meta

Clay Shirky

Vice Provost for AI and Technology in Education,

New York University

Content from TechNet

The United States faces increasing competition from adversaries determined to surpass America in critical technologies, including AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, energy, and advanced manufacturing. In a segment presented by TechNet, Aparna Bawa, COO of Zoom, and Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google and Alphabet, join TechNet CEO Linda Moore to discuss the importance of American leadership in innovation.

Aparna Bawa

COO, Zoom

Kent Walker

President, Global Affairs, Google & Alphabet

Linda Moore

CEO, TechNet

Presenting Sponsor

AGENDA

1:00 p.m.

Doors Open & Lunch

2:00 p.m.

Opening Remarks

A preview of the power players and important issues in focus at The Futurist Summit.

THE NEXT LEAP IN INNOVATION

We explore what the latest breakthroughs in AI could mean for businesses, society, politics, medicine and our daily lives.

2:05 p.m.

Inflection Points

The veteran Silicon Valley founder and early investor in artificial intelligence assesses what’s next in the AI revolution. We’ll also hear from Hoffman’s AI-generated digital twin.

Reid Hoffman

Co-Founder, LinkedIn & Inflection AI

Partner, Greylock

Interviewed by Josh Tyrangiel

Artificial Intelligence Columnist, The Washington Post

2:30 p.m.

The New Frontiers of Medicine

A discussion about how AI could unleash new possibilities in medicine – from diagnosing health conditions to personalizing treatments – and the challenges of implementation.

Renee Wegrzyn

Director, ARPA-H

Regina Barzilay

Distinguished Professor of AI & Health, School of Engineering, MIT

Interviewed by Bina Venkataraman

Columnist, The Washington Post

2:50 p.m.

Harnessing AI's Potential

Zecca speaks about the ways Nasdaq leverages AI on its business and in its products, the principles for balanced and effective AI regulation and the role AI plays in upholding the integrity of the financial system.

John Zecca

Executive Vice President, Global Chief Legal, Risk and Regulatory Officer, Nasdaq

Interviewed by

Kathleen Koch, Journalist

3:05 p.m.

AI - What have you done for me lately?

The Post’s technology reporters put the latest generative AI tools to the test and explore whether they could improve our productivity without compromising our privacy.

Demonstration by

Chris Velazco

Personal Technology Reporter, The Washington Post

Danielle Abril

Tech at Work Writer, The Washington Post

THE GLOBAL RACE & STAKES

We spotlight the countries trying to be the next AI global superpowers and examine the role of AI in a historic wave of elections this year.

3:20 p.m.

China’s ChatGPT Moment

The venture capitalist, who once worked at Google, Microsoft and Apple, describes the latest advances from his AI startup and his hopes to usher in China’s ChatGPT moment.

Kai-Fu Lee

Chair, Sinovation Ventures

CEO, 01.AI

Interviewed by Yun-Hee Kim

Technology Editor for Corporate & Personal Tech, The Washington Post

3:35 p.m.

The Global Balance of Power

A reporters’ roundtable about the countries vying to be leaders in AI and the Biden administration’s efforts to preserve America’s technological edge.

Eva Dou

Technology Policy Reporter, The Washington Post

Gerrit De Vynck

Technology Reporter, The Washington Post

Interviewed by Yun-Hee Kim

Technology Editor for Corporate & Personal Tech, The Washington Post

3:50 p.m.

Democracy on the Line

As billions around the world head to the polls this year, the journalist, editor and Nobel Peace Prize winner analyzes the impact of AI on democracies and the information ecosystem.

Maria Ressa

Co-Founder & CEO, Rappler

Interviewed by Cat Zakrzewski

National Technology Policy Reporter, The Washington Post

BALANCING INNOVATION & SAFETY

We examine the role of trust and safety in the deployment of AI and how the rapidly changing technology could impact our national security in enduring ways.

4:15 p.m.

The Future of AI is Open

A perspective on how open innovation promotes AI safety, fosters healthy competition in the market and protects security interests.

Christina Montgomery

Vice President and Chief Privacy & Trust Officer, IBM

In Conversation with

Rebecca Finlay

CEO, Partnership on AI

4:30 p.m.

A New Era of Warfare

A conversation about how AI could alter the battlefield, challenge America’s competitiveness and raise new questions about the ethics of warfare.

Gen. Mark A. Milley (U.S. Army, Ret.)

Former Chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Interviewed by David Ignatius

Columnist, The Washington Post

5:00 p.m.

Securing Cyberspace

CISA’s top official explains why she has characterized AI as an era-defining cyber challenge and called for stronger guardrails to protect America’s national interests.

Jen Easterly

Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Interviewed by David Ignatius

Columnist, The Washington Post

5:25 p.m.

AI & The Post

Our chief technology officer invites the audience to experience The Post’s latest AI innovations

Vineet Khosla

Chief Technology Officer, The Washington Post

5:30 p.m.

Meet The Post & Exclusive After-Hours Reception

Get a sneak peek at The Post’s newest AI innovations

Go inside The Post’s groundbreaking reporting

Network with top Post writers and editors

Get a book signed by David Ignatius

Christina Montgomery

Vice President and Chief Privacy & Trust Officer, IBM

Content from IBM

Rebecca Finlay

CEO, Partnership on AI

Content from IBM

John Zecca

Executive Vice President, Global Chief Legal, Risk and Regulatory Officer, Nasdaq

Content from Nasdaq

12:00 p.m.

MISSION IMPERATIVE: BUILDING TRUST IN AI

Content from Mozilla

Insights into the shifting terrain of AI policy debates, the
lessons learned from the early browser wars and the rise
of social media and creating a future centered on human
welfare.

LINDA GRIFFIN
Vice President, Global Policy, Mozilla

Interviewed by Kathleen Koch
Journalist

12:15 p.m.

BALANCING INNOVATION
& RISK

The Post’s tech editor talks with a leading Silicon Valley
venture capitalist on the big bets he’s making on what’s
next and how he sees the balance between innovation
and risk.

HEMANT TANEJA
CEO and Managing Director, General Catalyst

Interviewed by Yun-Hee Kim
Technology Editor, Corporate & Personal Tech

12:30 p.m.

DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL
AGE

Post reporters analyze how generative AI and social media
could shape elections this year as billions around the world
head to the polls.

CAT ZAKRZEWSKI
National Technology Policy Reporter,
The Washington Post

PRANSHU VERMA
Innovations Reporter,
The Washington Post

SARAH ELLISON
National Enterprise Reporter,
The Washington Post

Interviewed by Elahe Izadi
Media Reporter & Co-Host, “Post Reports,”
The Washington Post

12:55 p.m.

A REVOLUTION IN DRONE WARFARE

In a dynamic demonstration and closing conversation, we
explore how AI-powered drones are changing the battlefield
including in the wars in Ukraine and Israel-Gaza.

ADAM BRY
CEO, Skydio

Interviewed by Jonathan Capehart
Associate Editor, The Washington Post

1:15 p.m.

LUNCH + MEET THE POST

Stay for lunch and network with top Post writers.

Technology has reshaped our modern professional and personal lives, restructured our economy and workforce, and created new pressure points for democracies around the world. On Thursday, March 21, join Washington Post Live for a dynamic summit featuring groundbreaking pioneers, influential policymakers and leading minds about the technological transformations shaping our future.

Add To Waitlist

9am

Get Started

Clear your calendar. Addiction in America is being held on May 4, and you're invited to take part in the discussion. The Washington Post Headquarters is our meeting spot for a day of through-provoking debate.

11am

The Opioid Epidemic

Mobile. Why does it matter? And how do we get it right? Attend small group workshops about the future of mobile ads, mobile app development and trends in cross-screen targeting. Learn about the rapid rise of mobile browsing (and what that means to us) in our interactive globe installation. And hear from Kayla Witz, Founder of Mobili-T Media, about how to get caught up, and then get ahead.

1pm

Black Box Cautions

We’re capturing more data than ever before. And we’re doing it more precisely. But we’re still not using data to its full potential. Used well, numbers can teach us about each other, inspire our creativity and help us take risks and innovate in our work. One highlight of the day: Peer Exchange sessions, where you can learn about the interesting ways people are using data in the industry. And don’t miss John Taff's impressive presentation about a rare skill: data design.

3pm

Proposed Solutions

How do we find meaning in marketing? Is it possible to do more in this industry than help companies sell stuff? Sure is. Raquel Evers of Fortunate Consulting will explain how marketers can use our insights and knowledge about the customer to influence and improve the bigger business strategy.