News

Webinar Explores the Future of Human-Technology Convergence

As society continues to evolve at the crossroads of physical and digital innovation, an upcoming ACM SIGGRAPH webinar titled “Designing for Hybrid: How Will Physical AI and Digital Twin Shape Our Society?” will dive into the implications of these converging forces on human experience, design, and interaction.

Scheduled for Tuesday, July 29 at 4:00 PM PDT, this event brings together leading thinkers and innovators who will explore how Physical AI, the embodiment of digital intelligence into real-world systems, and the Digital Twin, a virtual representations of physical systems are transforming industries, lifestyles, and urban ecosystems.

Featured Panelists:

• Ivan Poupyrev, Archetype AI
• Yuya Yamaguchi, Sony Honda Mobility

Moderators:

• Masa Inakage, Keio University
• Mark Billinghurst, Independent Researcher
• Yamen Saraiji, SONY AI

Through real-world examples and forward-looking insights, the panel will showcase how the physical and virtual are no longer separate domains, but components of a unified hybrid society.

This webinar is essential for technologists, designers, urban planners, and futurists who are curious about the next frontier of human-technology integration.

Register now to secure your spot and be part of the conversation shaping our hybrid future.

Formally established in May 2025, the ACM SIGGRAPH Rainbow Affinity Group seeks to connect, empower, and support LGBTQ+ individuals in the fields of computer graphics and interactive techniques. Through skill-development opportunities, mentorship, showcases, and dedicated venues for socializing, collaboration, and networking, both at the annual conference and year-round, the group fosters an inclusive and vibrant professional community.

The group’s vision is to support all individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ through inclusive mentorship and community connection. In particular, it aims to uplift emerging professionals and students as they find their voice within the broader SIGGRAPH community, while also continuing to provide more established members with a welcoming space to reconnect, celebrate, and sustain long-standing relationships.

Modeled in part after the successful model of Women in SIGGRAPH, the Rainbow Affinity Group traces its roots to 2002, when a small coalition of students and early-career professionals began organizing informal gatherings in response to the absence of visible LGBTQ+ spaces within the SIGGRAPH ecosystem. What began as a grassroots, do-it-yourself effort has since evolved into a thriving annual Birds of a Feather (BoF) meeting, drawing hundreds of attendees from across SIGGRAPH’s diverse disciplines and professional backgrounds.

Over time, the scope and inclusivity of the group have expanded significantly. Once focused primarily on gay men, the modern Rainbow Affinity Group affirms a broader spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, reflecting the richness and complexity of queer experience today. A pivotal moment came during the 2024 Rainbow Meetup BoF, when participants, particularly students, expressed a strong desire for more sustained engagement, community-building, and formal recognition within ACM SIGGRAPH. That feedback galvanized longtime organizers to take the next step: establishing a standing affinity group dedicated to fostering a lasting and visible LGBTQ+ presence within the organization.

At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts face mounting challenges in many sectors, the Rainbow Affinity Group stands as a clear commitment to building a safe and affirming space for intersectional queer identities. Its members represent the full range of SIGGRAPH’s creative and technical community: artists, designers, engineers, storytellers, directors, and scientists. And they reflect the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, intersex, non-binary, Two-Spirit, pansexual, questioning, and others.

By establishing a sustained structure for visibility, connection, and professional development, the Rainbow Affinity Group ensures that LGBTQ+ members are not only included, but celebrated.

The Rainbow Affinity Group Chair is Jeffrey Weekley. Other committee members include AJ Christensen and Victor Zordan.

The Governance Advisory Board (GAB) ensures that the structure, policies, and procedures of ACM SIGGRAPH are reflective of what we do, what we should be doing, and are the most effective and efficient possible. The scope of the GAB is all of ACM SIGGRAPH, both the major conferences (SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH Asia) and all of the subunits (Standing Committees, Advisory Boards, and Affinity Groups). The GAB does not make final decisions on issues but sends them to the Executive Committee for approval. Changes are reflected either in the ACM SIGGRAPH Policy Guidelines or in the Bylaws. The ACM SIGGRAPH Chair shall always be a member of the Governance Advisory Board. The other members of GAB are either Executive Committee Directors or Chairs of other ACM SIGGRAPH units. For example, as of July 2025 the GAB consisted of the Chair-elect, Chair, Past-Chair, Past-Past-Chair, Treasurer-elect, CAG and SACAG Chairs, and the Chair of the Arts Advisory Board. The GAB has a bi-weekly Zoom meeting. Since the meetings are virtual, there is no budget associated with the GAB.

The Chair’s responsibilities are:

• Is an ex officio member of the ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee
• Attends all EC meetings and acts as parliamentarian and advisor on policy issues.
• Tracks all senior leadership position terms that are not tracked by the Nominations Committee (Affinity Group Chairs, Advisory Group Chairs, and Award Sub-Chairs) and reports to the Chair of EC when a term is nearing end.
• Oversees the GAB’s compliance with ACM SIGGRAPH and ACM policies.
• Ensures that meetings are properly planned and conducted efficiently.
• Presents all GAB proposed policies to the ACM SIGGRAPH EC for approval.
• Supervises and/or develops documents and policies: specifically, the Chair maintains the GAB To Do list, the Change Log for the ACM SIGGRAPH Policy Guidelines, and the annual report. The Chair will also be responsible for updating the ACM SIGGRAPH Policy Guidelines when new policies are approved.
• Ensure that the Committee’s activities are in line with its objectives and mission.
• In consultation with the committee shall identify initiatives, tasks, a need for subcommittees and areas for the GAB to pursue. 
• Oversees management of GAB initiatives and ongoing projects.
• Maintains open and frequent communication with the GAB members. The Chair shall keep GAB members informed of all important deadlines, initiatives, and other GC related information and provide updates at least quarterly.
• In consultation with the committee shall identify the need for additional GAB members. 

Interested applicants should send their applications to project-manager@acmsiggraph.org. 

The Computer Animation Festival Advisory Board (CAFAB) is composed of
past and future directors of the Computer Animation Festival from both
SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH Asia. The CAFAB provides long term vision to
the CAF while helping to promote the SIGGRAPH Organization and
Conferences.

The Chair interacts with the CAFAB members to help with high-level
tasks and issues related to the upcoming (and future) SIGGRAPH and
SIGAsia Computer Animation Festivals. This extends to year-round
activities like the Computer Animation Festival Traveling Show.

As with other advisory groups, the CAFAB chair also interacts with
other SIGGRAPH committees on issues pertaining to the CAF.

Applicants should send their applications to project-manager@acmsiggraph.org.