Hao Li - Associate Professor of Computer Vision and Director of the MBZUAI Metaverse Lab, CEO and co-founder of Pinscreen, explores advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its transformative impact on the emerging fields of Metaverse and visual effects (VFX). The presentation highlights the potential of the Metaverse to reshape industries and emphasizes the need for advanced AI techniques.

Hao Li was a Distinguished Research Fellow in the Computer Vision Group at UC Berkeley and an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California, where he was also director of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.

Li works at the intersection of computer vision, computer graphics, and machine learning, with a focus on virtual humans, reality capture, and AI synthesis. His goal is to enable new AI and immersive technologies that make the concept of the metaverse possible and enhance our lives with digital experiences that would not be possible in the physical world. Examples include virtual teleportation and immersive communication using 3D avatars, fully autonomous AI agents indistinguishable from a real person, hyper-realistic simulated worlds that can be generated and created by anyone, and augmented reality technologies that can enhance our senses and enrich our experiences.

With the rapid advancement of AI-driven content creation technologies, Hao is committed to prioritizing our safety and well-being by developing tools to prevent new forms of cyber threats, such as deepfakes used in misinformation or harassment campaigns. Li has also been a visiting professor at Weta Digital, a research leader at Industrial Light & Magic / Lucasfilm, and a research associate at Columbia and Princeton universities. Hao was a speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020 and an exhibitor at SXSW in 2022. His startup, Pinscreen, received Epic Megagrants in 2021, and in 2022, Li was featured in the first season of Amazon's documentary re:MARS Luminaries.