Tech author, analyst & speaker on AI, 3D printing & autonomous vehicles. Co-author of 2 MIT Press books with 300K+ copies sold. Expert at Singularity University helping leaders navigate emerging tech.
Melba Kurman is a technology author, analyst, and speaker specializing in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, and urban tech. She is the co-author of two acclaimed books — "Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead," published by MIT Press, and "Fabricated: The New World of 3D Printing" — which together have sold over 300,000 copies across seven languages, cementing her reputation as a leading voice in the future of technology. A graduate of the University of Illinois School of Information Sciences and Cornell University, Melba has built a distinguished career spanning academia, the tech industry, and innovation education, with past roles at Microsoft's Windows Server Division and Cornell University. She currently serves as an expert at Singularity University, where she helps business leaders and innovators understand the transformative societal and economic impact of cutting-edge technologies.
Sessions
Making Sense of the Smart City
Cities are the future of humanity, but most so-called "Smart Cities" today are technology time capsules, using legacy IT systems to automate the work of government. In contrast, nearly every other industry has been transformed by exponential technologies. Cities are poised for change. As Moore's Law continues to drive down the cost of sensors, autonomous vehicles and AI, a new and dynamic urban technology landscape is emerging. Our new urban technology landscape will be decentralized, fast-moving, and catalyzed by the private sector rather than the government. This session is ideal for entrepreneurs, urban planners, technology leaders, policymakers and regular citizens who are looking to better understand the smarter cities of the future.