Think 2019: Prepare for What’s Next in AI, Cloud and Open Technology

Welcome to THINK 2019 in San Francisco! IBM’s flagship event brings together technologists, business executives and thought leaders from across industries and around the world who are spearheading the next phase of technological and societal change. This year’s conference is focused on the new and emerging technologies that will fuel the fourth industrial transformation, including cloud, AI and open source.

These technologies are going to disrupt business – in fact, it’s already happening. Are you ready? Whether you’re attending at Moscone Center or watching the presentations via live streaming, we want to help you prepare for this monumental shift and be part of it.

THINK 2019 features approximately 2,000 sessions at locations in downtown San Francisco, on topics ranging from blockchain for commerce, to modernizing data for multiclouds, to innovative social platforms that empower women. (Check out the full program to take a deeper dive.)

Here are some presentations you should not miss.

• IBM Chairman, President and CEO Ginni Rometty’s keynote presentation, “Building Smarter Businesses,” will take place on Tuesday, February 12, at 3:30 pm PST. She will be joined by AT&T Communications CEO by John Donovan, Red Hat CEO and President Jim Whitehurst, and other business leaders. You can watch the keynote at Think Live.

• On Wednesday February 13 at 10am PST, IBM Research will present its popular “5 in 5” technology predictions, a perennial THINK favorite highlighting five emerging technologies that will radically change business and society over the next five years. Previous years predictions have revealed AI-powered robotic microscopes to help save the oceans, smart sensors to detect natural gas leaks in real time, and computers that have a sense of smell.

• In another demonstration of the growing sophistication of AI, IBM’s Project Debater – an AI system that digests massive amounts of data on a topic, and then constructs coherent, rational arguments – will battle a former European champion debater on Monday, February 11, at 5pm PST. You can watch it play out in real-time here.

There’s much more at THINK 2019. On Wednesday, Accelerating the Journey to AI will feature Jack McCarthy, tech guru for the New Jersey Judiciary. (More proof that AI will change everything.) And attendees will learn how to capitalize on innovations in cloud to improve their business at the Hybrid, Multicloud by Design. Accelerating the Enterprise Cloud Journey session.

Open source technology is increasingly the foundation of enterprise platforms, as underscored by IBM’s plans to acquire Red Hat. On Thursday, CEO Rometty will lead a discussion with open source industry leaders on that game-changing agreement and other new developments.

Blockchain is more than just a buzzy digital currency. Because blockchain can help organizations manage, collaborate and safeguard large datasets, it’s becoming a critical part of many industries, revolutionizing the management of industrial supply chains, how municipalities regulate water usage, and how companies ensure food safety. Look for big news at THINK from hospital network Sentara, pharma company Boehringer, conglomerate Hyundai and Latin American food companies on their use of IBM blockchain.

Other highlights: You’ll meet teenager Taylor Richardson, who attended NASA Space Camp at age nine and wants to walk on the Mars someday. Venture capitalist Roger McNamee will discuss his new book, Zucked - Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe. Astronaut Steve Smith will riff on the future of space flight. Skateboard pioneers Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen will chat about entrepreneurship, skating, and the cloud. And NFL legend Joe Montana will share his thoughts on leadership.

Learn more about THINK 2019 here, register here, and build your agenda here.

See you in San Francisco!