Carnegie Mellon University, in partnership with the AI Strike Team and the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be hosting an event showcasing artificial intelligence systems on April 22 at the university’s Robotics Innovation Center (RIC) in Hazelwood Green.
“This is bigger than a single event — it’s about winning the next era of innovation,” Joanna Doven, AI Strike Team CEO, said. “More than ever, we have to connect our AI builders with industry — here in Pennsylvania and across global sport. Pittsburgh is outperforming major tech hubs in AI venture investment, and we’re the most affordable major tech city in America. Founders here don’t just talk about innovation — they build it, test it and deploy it in the real world.”
The invitation-only, three-hour event, Powering the Future of Sport: A Draft Week Showcase, will feature live demonstrations and senior-level discussions on AI deployment, performance and competitive edge. Participants include representatives from companies and technological leaders along with executives from government, industry, academia and professional sports.
The goal is to position Pittsburgh at the center of a national conversation regarding how AI is designed, tested and deployed in complex, real-world environments.
“Pittsburgh’s strength has always been translating ideas into impact,” Farnam Jahanian Carnegie Mellon University president, said. “There is no better place to tell that story than the Robotics Innovation Center, where CMU is convening partners to advance AI systems that are reshaping every sector of our economy and ensuring that its benefits are shared broadly across communities, industries and society.”
The $1.275 Million Forge AI Prize, a national startup competition spotlighting companies deploying AI in real-world environments across performance analytics, simulation, robotics, smart venues, digital twins and intelligent operations, will be awarded at the event. The prize is designed to attract leading founders, investors and companies to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. Participants will pitch ideas to a panel of high-profile judges.
Companies that commit to establishing a meaningful presence in Pennsylvania will receive special consideration.
The winner will receive $1 million in AWS compute credits and $275,000 in investment capital.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is scheduled to speak at the event about the government’s commitment to positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in AI and next-generation economic competitiveness.
The RIC is a purpose-built facility supporting large-scale experimentation, industry collaboration and real-world testing of robotics and AI.
The AI Strike Team advances strategic initiatives and partnerships that position Pennsylvania for sustained economic growth and leadership in AI.