Experience at your own pace hands-on exhibits about a wide variety of emerging technologies in the era of AI.

Guests should arrive by 5pm to check-in and receive their credentials. Then join NTT Research President and CEO Kazu Gomi for cocktails and small plates as he welcomes members of the public, esteemed NTT scientists, executives, partners, clients, and press to kick off Upgrade 2025.

Speakers:
Sean Lawrence, Vice President and head of the IOWN Development Office at NTT

Speakers:
Debbie Lin, NTT Digital, Inc. - Technology Innovation Strategy Manager

Speakers:
Adriano Manfrè, Head of Autonomous Systems, NTT DATA Italia

Doors will open at 8am and a Continental breakfast will be available until 9am.

Experience at your own pace hands-on exhibits about a wide variety of emerging technologies in the era of AI.

Kazu Gomi, President and CEO of NTT Research, Jun Sawada, Executive Chairman of the Board, will provide an overview of the latest research and innovation from NTT groups around the world. How innovation happens in the time of AI will be discussed at length in an effort to foster greater understanding of the technology, its opportunities, and pitfalls.

Speakers:
Jun Sawada, Executive Chairman of the Board, NTT
Kazu Gomi, President and CEO, NTT Research, Inc.

Speakers:
Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO, Snowflake

Moderators:
Vab Goel, Founding Partner of NTTVC
Abhijit Dubey, President CEO of NTT DATA Inc.

What’s happening inside the black box? As work with AI, machine learning, and large language models continues, we are observing that AI is beginning to do things it wasn’t explicitly taught to do. For example, AI develops biases from the datasets used to train the models. This can lead to AI systems that inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes, discrimination, or erroneous decisions. This presentation will explore steps that are being taken to counteract these tendencies, including work originating in the NTT Research PHI Lab to offset bias in deep neural networks.

Speakers:
Hidenori Tanaka, Scientist, PAI Group, NTT Research, Inc.
Ekdeep Lubana, Postdoc, PAI Group, NTT Research, Inc.

Moderator:
Fay Hazaveh Costa, Partner, NTTVC

In the age of AI, photonics is being explored with greater urgency. As a leader in the field and its applications, our advancements in IOWN include new materials such as thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) and photonics-electronics convergence devices (PECs), both of which offer new capacities to address the demands of AI and machine learning. More speed. Greater power efficiency. They are already coins of the realm, but they will be more so in the near future as we face the vast demand for computing power while maintaining our energy footprint.

Speakers:
Yosuke Aragane, VP, Head of IOWN Development Office, NTT
Marc Jankowski, Scientist, PHI Lab, NTT Research, Inc.
Ram Velaga, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Core Switching Group at Broadcom

Moderator:
Ashish Vengsarkar, Google, Retired

Speaker:
Naveen Rao, Vice President of AI at Databricks and Co-Founder of MosiacML

Moderators:
Kazu Gomi, President and CEO, NTT Research, Inc.
Fay Hazaveh Costa,Partner, NTTVC

Why is cryptography even more important in the AI era? This presentation will explore the potential for Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) to provide effective ways of sharing data while preserving privacy, which is critical for the age of AI. Moreover, the technology allows top-secret data to be made “spill-proof” with targeted redactions, a process that can even be expanded to video applications. The session promises to be an illuminating exploration of how we keep the bots at bay.

Speakers:
Nat Bongiovanni, CTO at NTT DATA Federal Services, Inc
Tak Goto, VP, Strategy at NTT Research, Inc.
Hoeteck Wee, Senior Scientist, CIS Lab, NTT Research, Inc.
Sandra Trullemans, Director Business Development, Global GenAI Office NTT DATA Group

Moderator:
John Petrie, Chief Information Security Officer of NTT Security

The goal of the Bio Digital Twin project is ultimately to be able to render precision medical care anywhere in the world utilizing patient-specific digital twin technology. Our initial focus on a Cardiovascular Bio Digital Twin was a response to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, which is the world’s leading cause of death. This presentation will review our advancements over the past year, which was marked by further development of the Autonomous Closed-Loop Intervention System, or ACIS, which will ultimately automate acute cardiovascular care using data from both the patient and the general population coupled to a drug library, and Otto, our breakthrough digital twin model. These advancements bring us closer to our goal of creating comprehensive patient Bio Digital Twins to recommend care and even administer treatments more precisely than ever before.

Speakers:
Jon Peterson, Distinguished Scientist, MEI Lab, NTT Research, Inc.
Yasuyuki Kataoka, Research Scientist, MEI Lab, NTT Research, Inc.
Iris Shelly, Senior Scientist, MEI Lab, NTT Research, Inc.

Moderator:
Sandeep Pulim, Investor/LP Scrub Capital

Data Centers have been at the center of a growing debate in recent years stemming from the surge in demand for compute resources fueled largely by GenAI, machine learning, artificial neural networks, and the explosion of data that these technologies produce. As a result, sustainability has become a concern driven by the increased energy and water consumption required to meet the elevated demand. This session will explore these trends and present a vision for the data center of the future, where technology innovation converges with sustainable practices. Our panel of experts will discuss the emerging technology adoption and challenges facing data center owners and operators as they race to deliver more efficient, sustainable, and scalable data centers capable of handling the increasing demands of a modern, sustainability-conscious society.

Speakers:
Bruno Berti, SVP, Global Product Management and NTT Global Data Centers
John Overton , CEO and founder of Kove IO, Inc.,
Sharath Hosagrahar, Director, Global Ecosystem Tech Sales, Red Hat

Moderator:
Bennett Indart, Silicon Valley Executive and Advisor

Space and satellite sectors are experiencing unprecedented growth and transformation - driven by technological advancements, falling launch costs, and a surge in private sector applications to augment advances in the defense & intelligence sector. This new era of space underpins NTT’s focus with “Constellation 89” – the wrapper around key initiatives and investments in deep-tech domain – and is harnessing the dynamic environment that presents both opportunities and unique challenges for industries globally. Join us for a fireside chat featuring industry leaders and experts as they explore the next chapter of the space and satellite ecosystem.

Speakers:
Alex Otake, Board Director, Marble Visions
Lewis Alun Jones, VP, Generation Space

Moderator:
Rika Nakazawa, NTT Chief Commercial Operation

NTT DATA’s global GenAI research report revealed a deep enthusiasm for GenAI’s potential to deliver business value: 98% of C-suite respondents agree that GenAI will have a material impact on improving productivity levels. But nearly as many respondents (87%) accept that ROI will be unclear for the foreseeable future. How can organizations bridge the gap between expectations and reality, particularly in an environment of rapid and intense technology innovation? This panel will explore new ways to think about, plan for, and track ROI as organizations look beyond experimental POCs to invest in and scale enterprise AI solutions. We’ll also share NTT’s R&D organizations' and NTT DATA’s Innovation Center's views on near- and long-term AI innovation in development. What are the most promising advancements, what will their impact be and how can organizations prepare to harness their value? Includes 10-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
David Manske, VP IT, Enterprise Architecture, Strategy & Digital Enablement, Clarios
Mike Evans, VP, Technical Business Development, Red Hat

Moderator:
Wendy Collins, Chief AI Officer, NTT DATA

Edge AI is revolutionizing industries and driving the next wave of digital transformation. This panel will explore its disruptive potential, examining how it leverages real-time data from sensors, machinery, cameras and applications to revolutionize operations and decision-making. Includes 10-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
Paul Bloudoff, Senior Director, 5G Strategic Client Enablement, NTT DATA
Arvind Aggarwal, Sr Manager Product Management – Private 5G and Edge Solutions
Brandon Barbello, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Archetype AI

Moderator:
Sandra Trullemans, Director Business Development, Global GenAI Office NTT DATA Group

Multiple lunch options are available within the Metreon.

As customer interaction evolves in the digital age, industries increasingly rely on advanced technologies to improve customer service and extract valuable insights from each engagement. NTT's proprietary Foresight technology leverages voice and context recognition innovations to enhance customer interactions. This panel will explore how combining Agentic AI and Foresight technology offers real-time, AI-driven analysis of customer conversations, enabling businesses to streamline processes, reduce friction, and personalize services. Additionally, NTT has a pilot program that incorporates Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) into Foresight to ensure information and customer detail security. Ultimately, AI Agents and Foresight-enabled humans, coupled with ABE, will help businesses enhance customer satisfaction, boost loyalty, and gain a competitive edge across various sectors, from call centers to sales reps and beyond. Includes 10-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
Rajeev Singh, Group Senior Vice President NTT DATA App&BPS
Ahmad Elsawaf, Head of Digital Strategy & Experience, Transamerica
Kim Barrington, Head of Investor Experience, TSX Trust

Join us at Upgrade 2025 for an insightful panel discussion featuring CEOs from leading GenAI startups. Discover how these innovators are leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies and strategies. Gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into various industries, and learn how to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from the pioneers shaping the future of AI! Includes 10-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
Sergey Davidovich, Chairman and President, SparkBeyond
Joe Murphy, Strategic Accounts Executive, D-ID

Moderator:
Asaf Green, Director of Business Development, NTT Innovation Laboratory Israel, Ltd.

In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, banks and financial services firms are navigating a critical period of transformation. This transformation is driven by regulatory, operational, and competitive pressures. Amid this shift, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) offers a groundbreaking opportunity to reshape customer experiences, optimize operations, and enable hyper-personalization at scale. Includes 5-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
Robert Steinman, CEO, KeyNo
Charles Wright, CEO, Mechanized.ai

Moderator:
Madhu Magadi, Managing Director, CTO - Client Growth Office, NTT DATA, Inc.

Panel will discuss the real world application of Gen AI across various industries. How Generative AI helps humans solve real-world problems and how this innovative technology can help on a daily basis. What are some of the use cases that each one of the panel members are implementing including some opportunities and challenges faced by each one of them. Includes 5-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
Akhil Uniyal, Global Innovation HQ, NTT Data Group Corporation
Sai Kumar Arava, Senior ML Manager, Gen AI/ML Applications at Adobe
Neha Vyas, Director, Product Management, AI Products and Platforms at Visa

Moderator:
Vishnavi Paruchuri, Investor at NTTVC

Generative AI is dominating discussions everywhere from the boardroom to family dinner tables. It’s hard to envision the full scale of the impact it will have on enterprise. But embracing the Gen AI wave is not easy for businesses. This panel in partnership with Kore.Ai, Credo AI, and SymphonyAI will explore how to apply AI at Enterprise Grade, strategies for adapting, and how companies and societies can safely adopt AI. Includes 5-minute Q&A.

Speakers:
DK Sharma, President and Chief Operating Officer, Kore.ai
Alok Panigrahy, VP Channel Sales & Partnerships, Credo AI
Shourabh Rawat, Head of SymphonyAI Labs

Moderator:
Anjan Majumdar, Vice President - Financial Services, NTT DATA Americas

Speakers:
Sean Lawrence, Vice President and head of the IOWN Development Office at NTT

Speakers:
Joe Murphy, Strategic Accounts Executive, D-ID

Speakers:
Debbie Lin, NTT Digital, Inc. - Technology Innovation Strategy Manager

Speakers:
Adriano Manfrè, Head of Autonomous Systems, NTT DATA Italia

Speakers:
Sandra Trullemans, Director Business Development, Global GenAI Office