Synthetic Media, or content that has been algorithmically created or modified with AI and deep learning, is saturating the digital landscape. From chatbots to voice assistants and deep fakes, many fear the blurring of the line between what is real and what is synthesized, of the spread of hoaxes and lies. But these technologies will also create new means for expression, and new tools to create art and engage people. In this talk, NYC Media Lab and RLab Executive Director Justin Hendrix will discuss the opportunities and challenges for a new form of media at the intersection of computer generated images, video, and voice, sourcing examples from new university research, R&D, and innovation in the space. What balance will the media industry need to strike when working with AI generated content? How is Synthetic Media changing the production, consumption, and monetization of media?

Main takeaways:
1. Understand how the media industry is leveraging the cutting-edge design and engineering research of talented researchers and startup companies. More specifically, how organizations like NYC Media Lab and RLab are building an ecosystem that mixes education, industry, and entrepreneurship towards the goal of advancing human experience with technology. 
2. Understand how new forms of media and content will bring new economic trends, such as commercialization forecasts, what's in market, and what's to come.
3. Gain a critical perspective on how AI, deep learning and synthetic media technologies are creating profound, global challenges in the decade ahead, and how we can work together to overcome them.