The Key Digital Transformation Acceleration: The Convergence of Simulation, AI, and HPC

The recent Altair Future.Industry 2023 virtual event focused on data and analytics, high-performance computing (HPC), what some are calling frictionless AI, and more. The event, which is available on-demand, featured talks by the industry’s leading authorities in these areas. 

According to Altair, the event sought to explore the latest megatrends impacting the world. Particularly important among the megatrends is the convergence of simulation, HPC, AI, and data analytics.

To that end, Future.Industry showcased the creative disruption, technologies, and ideas that are revolutionizing the way people live and work, according to James R. Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, of Altair.

Featured speakers and topics included:

• Sheryl Connelly, futurist and global consumer trends expert: “Demystifying the Future”
• Sandy Carter, senior vice president and channel chief, Unstoppable Domains: “The Metaverse, Convergence of AI and Engineering, and Other Trends”
• Dr. Vikram Shyam, futurist, NASA Glenn Research Center: “A Future Beyond Convergence Exploring Biocene – the Age of New Life”
• Dr. Carlo Cavazzoni, head of research and development, Leonardo S.p.A.: “Converging HPC and Cloud Infrastructure for Engineering Applications in Aerospace and Defense”
• Martha Bennett, vice president and principal analyst, Forrester: “Be Future Fit with Data and Analytics” 
• David E. Martin, manager of industry partnerships and outreach, Argonne National Laboratory: “Impact of Leadership Computing on Science and Industry”
• Doodong Kim, senior researcher for vehicle component solutions, LG Electronics: “Development of Data-Driven Platform for Structural Reliability Verification” 
• Hod Lipson, professor, Columbia University: “Open AI and Trends in Engineering and AI.”

See also: Enabling Transformation Change With HPC, Simulation, AI, and Data Analytics

Pushing the edge in multiple research areas

Each day of the event explored a different broad category that needed a multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems.

For example, the theme on day 1 was demystifying the future. A common message throughout the two days was driven home as speakers explored how the convergence of simulation, high-performance computing (HPC), and AI was leading to breakthroughs and innovations in everything from electrification and the data-driven enterprise to AI-driven simulation and semiconductors.

Day 2 covered digital twins, frictionless AI, data-driven engineering, next-level HPC, and more. While many are familiar with most of these areas, frictionless AI is an emerging area that the event paid particular attention to.

The speakers noted that friction emerges in three areas: Technical, organizational, and financial. Technical friction is often well understood. AI and machine learning is hard. Building models is hard. Deploying those models on the right infrastructures is hard.

The other two sources of friction are often not discussed or addressed in many organizations. Yet, they can have a significant impact on the success of AI efforts. Sessions during the virtual event explored the source of organizational and financial friction and how Altair can help overcome them.

 Rounding out these broader areas of coverage, featured presentation at the event included:

Be Future Fit With Data And Analytics:  Martha Bennett, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, explained how leading firms are using data and analytics to reduce risk and improve corporate performance. Learn what impending and potential AI regulations mean for banks, insurers, and other financial services operations. Gain insight into how a solid data and analytics foundation can become your key to agility and innovation. 

Development of Data-driven Platform for Structural Reliability Verification:  Doodong Kim, Senior Researcher for Vehicle Component Solutions at LG Electronics, described how you can apply machine learning in the CAD/CAE field. Understand the criticality of highly reliable performance prediction systems to the development process and efficient ways to perform design verification using machine learning algorithms trained with CAE data.   

Business Impacting Analytics: In this session, attendees learned why driving business impact from data analytics requires a different mindset and approach from more traditional engineering processes. Dr. Satyam Sahay, John Deere Fellow and Head of Advanced Engineering for the John Deere Enterprise Technology & Engineering Center, shared what he has learned over the past 25 years on the value of leveraging engineering knowledge, differentiating causality and correlation, scaling up analytics solutions, and building analytics competency within product engineering teams.  

A final word

Altair’s Future.Industry 2023 virtual event brought thought leaders in data and analytics, simulation, AI, and more together to discuss what’s being done now and what is in store for the future.

The event is available on demand.