Future Progress in Artificial Intelligence

***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Collaboration Room 3). We are experimenting with a new virtual join link - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers) If you can make it in person, that's always recommended! Let's resume repeated full end-to-end testing cycles and continue to iterate our design and resolution. We are getting close. Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months. The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands. Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms. Does it sound hard? Perhaps.. However! I have every confidence that we are now operating at a level were we can take on this mean, cross-functional project. We continue to build on our past successes, and a key technology we previously applied was increasing the signal of small voltages using OpAmps - which we did during our custom pH Probe project - [https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/](https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/) \- That technology is exactly what we need to get this machine working\, and at a high precision\! To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g) All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world. We have a bit over $2,000 in materials costs, so if you want to sponsor this project, and get banners at events with 20K attendees, and access to our email broadcast of 30K members, please contact matt@mocomakers.com We are also open to university, lab, or community partnerships so feel to reach out if you want to be part of this project. Together, we can do incredible things. ***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Meeting Room 3). To Join Virtually: https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers

Artistic Artifacts hosts **Open Stitch sessions EVERY Thursday evenings** from 5:30 - 7:30 pm — join us! This is a drop-in, bring your own hand stitching project and the necessary supplies (or you can knit, crochet... whatever needle arts you like). There’s no fee to attend, no instruction nor agenda — just a time to spend with other creatives! Visit our website for all our class & event information: **[https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk](https://artisticartifacts.com/collections/wk)**

It is supposed to be 60 degrees Thursday. Let’s take advantage with a walk at Brookside Gardens. We will meet to the right facing the visitors center. If anyone is interested we can go to lunch afterwards.

Join the IBM Z Skills team at UMD College Park to **inspire** the next generation of technologists to pursue roles on the mainframe! \- IBM will deliver an overview presentation on IBM Z and the critical role the platform plays across industries today\. \- Help introduce students to IBM Z Xplore\, IBM’s premier online learning platform\, giving them a clear path to begin hands\-on skills development immediately\. \- Highlight the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry\, helping students see how their interests and strengths connect to real roles in the field\.

MDC DSA’s Labor Magazine Discussion Club seeks to provide a monthly discussion space to think through and debate tactics, strategy, and theoretical analysis within the currently existing Labor movement. We hope to be a nerve center for germinating new and incisive analysis useful for the cause of workers self-emancipation. All are welcome to join the club’s meeting, where we will discuss 3 articles from labor magazines currently circulating. For more details and links to the readings, check out [the group's info doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rq5JzlubZrLNML0EbGUHiNvXNC42VRz8bmJgLH4GE-s/edit?tab=t.0). Please RSVP on [Action Network](https://actionnetwork.org/events/labor-magazine-discussion-club) to receive further updates on this event. \* \* \* This event is open to both DSA Members and supporters. Not a Member? Please consider [becoming a Member](https://dsausa.org/join?source=Metro%20DC). Fees are on a sliding scale according to what you feel you can afford.

Join ERA NOW, ERA Coalition NOW and Feminist Majority to thank the members of congress who are co-sponsors of the ERA Joint Resolution for a Women's History Month event. Text 240-244-3528 to find us. Come early!! It is **room** 2247 more about this tour: [Driving the Vote for Equality Launches, Reviving a 1916 Suffrage Tour for the ERA - Ms. Magazine](https://msmagazine.com/2026/01/05/road-trip-driving-equality-suffrage-women-vote-alice-snitjer-burke-nell-richardson/)

To help us estimate attendance and to see the venue address, please RSVP on Luma!: https://luma.com/af0yjzz6 *A free, public workshop—no technical background needed* ​Artificial intelligence is no longer just getting better at narrow tasks—it’s beginning to look *general*. Many researchers believe we’re entering the early stages of the **AGI transition**: a period where AI systems start to match or exceed human abilities across a wide range of domains. ​This workshop explores what AGI actually means, how to think about it intuitively (without hype or jargon), and what this transition could mean for your job, your relationships, and your day-to-day life—much sooner than most people expect. ​Together, we’ll explore questions like: ​**What is AGI?** ​How do experts define artificial general intelligence, and how is it different from today’s AI tools? ​**Work & Jobs:** ​Which kinds of jobs are already being automated or transformed—and which ones experts believe are most likely to remain resilient? ​**Human Connection:** ​How is AI starting to replace or supplement roles once filled by coworkers, friends, tutors, therapists, and companions? ​**Robots & the Physical World:** ​What happens when advanced AI is paired with rapidly improving robotics—and which parts of the economy could change next? ​**What you’ll get:** * ​A clear, beginner-friendly explanation of AGI and why it matters * ​Real-world examples of how AI is already reshaping work and social life * ​Live demos that highlight both impressive capabilities and emerging risks * ​Interactive discussion and exercises to test your own intuitions about the future ​Come ready to grapple with one of the biggest transitions humanity may ever face—a shift that could redefine not just how we work, but how we relate to each other, find meaning, and navigate a world increasingly shaped by intelligent machines.

**AI-Supported Creative Exploration** *For Unassuming Intuitives & Practicing Creatives* (Please note that this event has not been organized or endorsed by The Writer's Center.) This meetup is part of AI as Creative Partner — A Practice Group, a set of open, non-sequential creative labs you can join at any point. We use AI as a thinking partner—not to replace your ideas, but to help surface and shape them without overthinking or pressure. You bring fragments—ideas, impulses, unfinished concepts. With AI as a supportive collaborator, we explore how those fragments can become clearer, more coherent, and ready to share if and when you want to. No technical background is required. If you can talk or type, that's enough to work with AI here. This session is intentionally low-commitment and flexible: * Arrive late or leave early * Work quietly or observe * Ask questions, or simply watch the process unfold There's no presentation and no expectation to finish anything. Showing up as you are is enough. **QUIET AI STUDIO - WORKING WITHOUT PRESSURE** This is a quiet, non-performative creative working session. There's no sharing requirement and no group activity. You can work privately, sit with your thoughts, or observe how others collaborate with AI. Especially welcoming if you're tired of hustle-style creativity and want a calmer way to move ideas forward. **HOW TO FIND US** Look for the room with the door open on the lower level. Look for the guy with the screen projector and ambient light and sound. Feel free to just walk in and settle. **(*This is an independent meetup using rental space at The Writer's Center. The Writer's Center has not organized or endorsed this event.*)**

This month, we'll have a recorded talk, followed by discussion, on API design and single-header libraries. How should we structure and program libraries to impose as few usage constraints as possible? We’ll look at [the STB libraries](https://github.com/nothings/stb) and other examples as case studies. We're still at the West End Library - see the location in the sidebar for details. **Agenda:** \- 2pm \- 3pm: Library discussion \- 3pm \- 4pm: Open\-ended discussions\, presentations\, etc\. \- 4pm \- whenever: We'll go get food nearby\! **What we do** Presentations on lower-level, foundational programming topics, ethical software, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and discussion. **Who we are:** We are all about handmade software. Rather than focus on frameworks, heavy abstractions, and buzzwords - we typically create projects or research topics that build an understanding of foundational computing concepts, essential data structures, and hardware/software interaction. **What to bring?** Bring a laptop, project, or just a curious mind. If you're not sure you're ready to contribute, don't worry: we're all here to share our passions and hone our craft. **If you arrive late:** Please enter the room quietly as to not disrupt anyone that is presenting. You can take any empty seat.

Join us at the Chess Center offices (Suite 118, entrance on 2nd Avenue) on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 5:00pm ET for open play. Players of all abilities and ages are welcome. * Non-Members: $5.00/player table fee for the day. * Chess Center [Members](https://chessctr.org/membership/) always play for FREE ($0.00). Check our social media ([Twitter](https://twitter.com/uschess) / [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/USChessCenter)) for closure announcements: The Chess Center is closed on major holidays. We also have chess sets, clocks, and [used chess books](https://chessctr.org/usedbooks/) for sale.

**To receive future event updates, register on Luma:** **[https://luma.com/6qii7007](https://luma.com/6qii7007)** Let's discuss a podcast by Anders Ericsson, author of the renowned book "Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise". Anders demonstrates that talent is overrated and peak achievement is dependent on a specific type of learning called "deliberate practice", and that your skill in any area is a function of the quantity and quality of “mental representations” you have for that activity. We explore the science of learning and of skill mastery -- how it happens, and how to do it. **Please watch this YouTube video (try 1.25x speed) before joining the discussion:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiBne5EGBQ8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiBne5EGBQ8) If more than 8 people join the discussion, we will break out into smaller groups. **(max 8 people per group)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 1. **Mastery requires focused quality over mere repetition. How can we ensure our daily efforts are intentional enough to foster genuine growth?** 2. **Effective mentors provide the roadmap for stretching our abilities. How might we better identify the guides who can point out our hidden obstacles?** 3. **Immediate feedback loops are essential for identifying and correcting technical errors. How can we build systems that provide the rapid insights necessary for our collective improvement?** 4. **Peak performance often requires unlearning habits that limit our ultimate potential. What fundamental methods could we refine to ensure our foundations support world-class excellence?** 5. **Growth occurs when we consistently set goals just beyond our current comfort zones. How do we determine the ideal balance between manageable challenge and productive discomfort?** 6. **Elite performance is sustained through intense concentration followed by restorative rest. How can we better value recovery as a vital component of our highest achievements?** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events: 1. Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question) 2. Listen to understand, not to respond. 3. Be open-minded and value differences.

Many popular movies about flying machines bear the title “Drones,” but this isn’t one of them. No, this is a little-known gem about love in the workplace possibly leading to the destruction of planet Earth. Witty writing, solid acting, and slick direction all work together in this movie like bees in a hive, which coincidentally is the point of the title. The cubicle-bound employees of a vast corporation attend to their various tasks, each contributing to the productivity of the whole. But wait – is one of these workers not like the others? And if so, what is this person’s true agenda? When the answers to these questions arrive, the story gets hilariously crazy. The R rating is earned strictly by occasional rude language in this dialogue-driven production, and bluntly your host thinks PG-13 would have been sufficient. ■ Title — *Drones* ■ Director — Amber Benson, Adam Busch ■ Cast — Angela Bettis, Jonathan M. Woodward, Samm Levine ■ Rated R for language ■ ©2010 \| 1h 38m \| Comedy\, Fantasy ■ Distributed by Quiver Entertainment

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

We will show a variety of methods for building agents that run in Microsoft Foundry. This covers the different types of agents: Prompt, Multi, and Hosted, as well as the development lifecycle using evals and traces.

**Google Analytics Alternatives** Is it finally time to make the switch away from Google Analytics? Two-and-a-half years ago Jason Packer asked this question at Columbus Web Analytics Wednesday. Since then: Google’s Universal Analytics has been sunset, we’ve changed our name to Columbus Data & Analytics Wednesday, and Jason has released two editions of his book “Google Analytics Alternatives”. Fresh off the release of the 2nd edition of his book, we thought it was time to re-open this conversation. While people love to complain about it, GA’s market share has remained relatively constant (at least in the United States). Why is that? You won’t find any complaints about GA4 in this talk, but rather an overview of what’s currently available in the market and how to frame your decision-making process. We’ll also be giving out some free copies of Jason’s book! So even if you’ve got a “GA4Lyfe” tattoo (no judgement), there’s free books to go with the free pizza and beer. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)

Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to: * develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment * share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other * learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas

**Hello Columbus!** **The community is buzzing and growing well.** **We are thrilled to bring our third BrowserStack QA Meetup on March 12th!** We are creating a space for deeper insights, meaningful connections, and a vibe you won't want to miss. **What to expect:** * **Connect:** Network with Columbus' top engineering and QA minds. * **Learn:** Real-world tactics and trends you can use immediately. * **Enjoy:** Food, drinks, and great community spirit. **Agenda** * **[Sam Gomez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueljgomez/)** is presenting "AI is more than LLMs: Choosing the right AI for your needs." **RSVP Essential:** Space is limited, and we want to ensure a great experience for everyone. **RSVP now to secure your spot!** 📍 **Venue:** Leading EDJE, 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 📍 **Free Parking:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017 📅 **Date & Time:** March 12, 6:00 PM **Stay Connected!** Want to continue the conversation beyond the meetup? Join our **BrowserStack Discord Server** to get updates, connect with fellow QA professionals, and be part of an ongoing discussion. **Don’t miss out—click below to join!** 🔗 [\[](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[Join the BrowserStack Discord Server](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[\]](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW) **A Few Notes:** ✅ This is an **in-person event** ✅ **RSVP does not guarantee a seat** – A confirmation email will be sent one day before the event. **TALK ABSTRACT:** AI is all the hype these days; however, despite (or maybe because of) the excitement around it, a high percentage of AI projects fail. Projects that are over budget, delayed, or that fail to scale past the POC phase are very common. In many of these scenarios, choosing the right approach can be as critical as the solution itself. Should you build a tailored machine learning model, leverage the power of large language models (LLMs), or integrate with AI copilots? Each option has unique strengths, trade-offs, and resource requirements, and the key to success lies in aligning your choice with your business goals and technical constraints. In this talk, we will go beyond the basic concepts and definitions to provide a practical guide that allows attendees to navigate these decisions through real-world case studies. We will examine scenarios in which different AI paradigms were chosen, discuss the factors that influenced those decisions, and outline the process for evaluating needs, constraints, and outcomes. From assessing data availability and team expertise to balancing cost and scalability, you'll gain insights into the critical considerations that guide the selection process. By the end of this session, you’ll have a clear process for determining whether machine learning, LLMs, or copilots are best suited to your AI challenges and understand the resources and strategies needed to bring your chosen solution to life. This talk is ideal for decision-makers, technical leads, and innovators seeking to demystify AI implementation and maximize the impact of their investments.