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At SIGGRAPH Asia, the Keynote sessions will offer insights into ground-breaking areas in the field of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Meet Jun Murai and Joe Letteri, SIGGRAPH Asia 2023’s Keynote Speakers.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 Conference Chair
The University of New South Wales
Australia
Jun Murai
Distinguished Professor, Keio University
Founder, WIDE Project
Also known as ‘The Father of Internet in Japan’
Keynote Topic: Internet Civilization: A New Frontier for Humankind
The Internet is more than just a network of computers. It is a civilization, born from the basic sciences of mathematics and physics, and nurtured by human ingenuity.
For the first time in history, the Internet has created a truly global single space. This has profound implications for our society, our economy, and our way of life.
One of the most striking features of Internet Civilization is its speed. The speed of light provides a latency of just 133 milliseconds between any two points on the planet. This has enabled new forms of communication and collaboration that were unimaginable just a few decades ago.
For example, Internet Civilization has made it possible for people to play games with each other in real-time, even if they are on opposite sides of the world. It has also made it possible for doctors to perform surgery on patients remotely.
In addition to its speed, Internet Civilization is also characterized by its distributed computing capabilities. This means that the Internet can be used to pool the computing power of millions of devices around the world. This has enabled new applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The next frontier for Internet Civilization is the Interplanetary Network (IPN). The IPN will connect Earth to other planets and moons in our solar system. This will create a truly galactic civilization, with humans living and working on multiple worlds.
The discussion of Internet Civilization at ACM SIGGRAPH will explore the challenges and opportunities of this new frontier. We will discuss how the challenges will change our society, our economy, and our way of life. We will also discuss the ethical and social implications of creating the Internet Civilization.
The discussion is on this journey as we explore the future of Internet Civilization.
About Jun Murai
Jun Murai received his Ph.D. in Computer Science, Keio University in 1987, majoring in Computer Science, the Internet, and Computer Communication. He established JUNET, the first network in Japan connecting multiple universities, in 1984. In 1988, he also established the WIDE Project, a Japanese Internet research consortium. He has long been engaged in research related to Internet technology platforms and is known as ‘The Father of the Internet in Japan’ and in international circles as the Internet Samurai.
He is a Special Advisor to the Japanese Cabinet and an Advisor to the Digital Agency which supports many other governmental committees and is active in numerous international scientific associations.
He was inducted into the 2011 IEEE Internet Award / the 2013 Internet Hall of Fame (Pioneer) / 2019 the Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French Government.
Joe Letteri
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Wētā FX
Keynote Topic: Innovation & Avatar: The Way of Water
Sr. VFX Supervisor Joe Letteri will provide a comprehensive look at the innovative new technology and workflows developed for the 2023 Academy Award winning (R) film. Joe will talk about the R&D investment that began years prior to actual shot production and how Wētā chose to integrate AI systems into artist workflows without sacrificing full artist control. Joe will go into detail on Wētā FX’s new facial system (APFS), onset innovations including new capture systems and the neural-network driven depth compositing workflow as well as the new multi-physics integrated solver, Loki.
About Joe Letteri
Joe Letteri’s pioneering work as Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Wētā FX, has earned him five Academy® Awards for Best Visual Effects — most recently for “Avatar: The Way of Water” following earlier wins for “Avatar,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” and “King Kong.”
He has a long-standing interest in creating compelling, realistic creatures and characters — from the Na’vi to Gollum, Alita, and Caesar. Joe has developed many techniques that have become industry standards for creating photorealistic digital effects. This includes co-developing the subsurface scattering technique that brought Gollum to life (winning an Academy® Technical Achievement Award) and pushing the development of large-scale virtual production.
Under Joe’s leadership, Wētā FX has continued to expand and improve these techniques through films like “The Hobbit” and “The Planet of the Apes” trilogies. Joe is currently working on the upcoming “Avatar” sequels and continues to drive the advancement of Wētā’s technological and artistic innovations.
