HMI Human Machine Interface

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Can Artificial Intelligence ‘See’?”** A look at how humans and artificial intelligence systems interpret the visual world in fundamentally different ways, with Arryn Robbins, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond and cognitive scientist who researches visual attention, perception, and category learning. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-can-AI-see) .] Artificial intelligence can now identify faces, categorize objects, describe scenes, and outperform humans on certain visual tasks. But does AI actually “see” the world the way that people do? Or does it arrive at correct answers using representations that differ markedly from human perception? Join Arryn Robbins of the University of Richmond for a fascinating exploration of how humans and AI construct meaning from visual information and a look at comparisons between human perception and AI that reveal just how dynamic and context-dependent our own visual systems really are. Dr. Robbins, who previously has given excellent Profs and Pints talks on flaws and biases in human visual perception, will draw from research in cognitive science, visual perception, and AI vision systems. She’ll explain how human perception is not merely a simple recording of the world, but an active process shaped by expectations, context, goals, and recent experience. You’ll learn how humans form flexible mental representations that allow us to recognize objects across changing environments and conditions, and why those representations continuously adapt as we interact with the world. Many AI systems, by contrast, learn visual categories through statistical patterns in data. They can produce impressive results, but sometimes they also produce strange and unexpected failures, and sometimes they classify images in ways that seem strange to us. Dr. Robbins will discuss what these differences reveal about the nature of perception itself, and why the mismatch between human and AI representations matters for technologies like self-driving cars, medical imaging, facial recognition, and automated surveillance. Important for anyone trying to understand the rapidly growing role of AI in daily life, this talk will explore one of the biggest questions in cognitive science and artificial intelligence: What does it actually mean to “see” and understand the world? (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: “Eye Farm” by Nevit Dilmen (Wikimedia Commons).

**The Neural Revolution Is Happening Right Now — Are You Plugged In?** Imagine typing with your thoughts. Steering a robotic limb with a neural signal. Lifting depression by stimulating a single brain circuit. Loading a skill straight into memory. This isn't science fiction. It's happening in labs, clinics, and startups around the world — and the DC region, home to NIH, the BRAIN Initiative, and DARPA's neural-interface programs, is one of the places it's being funded and built. **This Event Is for You If…** * ✅ You're a **technologist** curious about the computing paradigm beyond screens and keyboards * ✅ You work in **healthcare** and want to see how neural interfaces will reshape patient care * ✅ You're an **entrepreneur** hunting the next real opportunity in deep tech * ✅ You're a **researcher** looking to plug into the broader BCI ecosystem * ✅ You're simply **fascinated** by where neuroscience and technology collide * ✅ You **missed our last meetup** and want to reconnect with the community **Why That List Makes Us Unique in DC** Read it again. A technologist, a clinician, a founder, a researcher, and the merely curious — in the same room, on the same afternoon. That mix is the whole point, and it's what no other event in the region offers. Neuroscience conferences are built for neuroscientists. AI meetups are built for engineers. Healthcare summits are built for clinicians. Each one serves a single silo. Brain computing doesn't live in any one of those silos — it lives in the overlap. So we built the one community in DC dedicated to that overlap: a place where the person decoding neural signals can talk to the person who'll commercialize the device, who can talk to the clinician who'll put it in front of a patient. **What You'll Walk Away With** This isn't just another tech meetup. Because of who's in the room, you get: * **Frontline insight** from people actively decoding neural signals * **Direct access** to the scientists, engineers, and founders pushing BCI forward — not a panel behind a rope line * **Hands-on work** with real neural data and BCI systems * **Career connections** in one of the fastest-growing fields in tech * **First looks** at breakthrough research before it reaches mainstream media **The Stakes Are Real** We're at an inflection point. The next decade decides whether brain-computer interfaces *expand* human potential or *deepen* inequality — whether they're built in the open or behind closed doors, whether the benefits are shared or hoarded. Your voice, your expertise, your perspective shapes which future we get. **Join the Minds Shaping Tomorrow** This is your entry point into the neural-interface revolution — your chance to stand alongside the researchers reading neural code, the engineers building the interfaces, the clinicians treating patients, and the founders bringing it all to market. **Saturday, June 13 · 12:00–3:00 PM** isn't just a meetup. It's the one place in DC where all of those people come together around brain computing. **Come curious. Leave connected. Return transformed.** Because the future of human-computer interaction isn't happening *to* you — it's happening *with* you.

**Register Here:** https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/4102500/rhexpressregistrationapp/page/expressregistration?sc_cid=RHCTN1260000485001 **Automate at the speed of mission** Today’s landscape demands a shift in strategy. One where automation isn’t just a tool, but the engine driving modernization for your organization or agency. Join Red Hat experts and your peers at **[Ansible Automates in Washington, DC](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/4102500/rhexpressregistrationapp/page/expressregistration?sc_cid=RHCTN1260000485001)** for a full day of conversation on building an automation strategy that scales. We’re moving beyond isolated tasks to focus on the topics that define modern IT: * **Operational velocity and scale:** Deploy faster and eliminate manual bottlenecks by standardizing on Red Hat® Ansible® Automation Platform as the backbone of your IT estate. * **Continuous compliance and resilience:** Trade audit anxiety for automated governance, stay ahead of configuration drift, and minimize human error to ensure mission continuity. * **AI-driven operations:** Put data and intelligence into automated action with the latest advancements in Ansible Lightspeed and gen AI. **What you'll walk away with** You'll leave with real, applicable insight from technical experts, peer practitioners, and Red Hat product leadership, including a 1st-look at what's new in AAP 2.7. **Who should attend?** **#AnsibleAutomates2026** is for IT business leaders and their teams: * CIOs, CTOs, and IT Directors * Enterprise and Network Architects * IT Operations and DevOps Leads * Security and Compliance Professionals * Automation Architects shaping AI and modernization strategy * Anyone interested in Automation - no matter where you are in your journey **[Event Details](https://reg.experiences.redhat.com/flow/redhat/4102500/rhexpressregistrationapp/page/expressregistration?sc_cid=RHCTN1260000485001)** * **Location:** Marriott Marquis\, DC \| 901 Massachusetts Ave NW\, Washington\, DC 20001 * **Date:** Wednesday, June 24, 2026 * **Time:** 8:15 AM - 4:30 PM ET **Note:** Please register using your business email address. Questions? Contact us at infrastructure@redhat.com

Important: Register on [AICamp website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026061814) is required for admission. **Description:** Welcome to the AI meetup in Washington DC. Join us for deep dive tech talks on AI, GenAI, LLMs and Agents, hands-on experiences on code labs, workshops, and networking with speakers and fellow developers. **Agenda:** \* 5:30pm\~6:00pm: Checkin, Food/drink and networking \* 6:00pm\~8:00pm: Tech talks and Q&A \* 8:00pm: Happy Hour at Courthouse Social (cross the street) **Tech Talk: Secure Developer Environments in the Age of AI Agents** **Speaker:** Patrick Brown (Coder) **Abstract:** Federal engineering teams are under pressure to ship faster while meeting some of the most demanding security and compliance requirements in the world. In this talk, Patrick Brown of Coder explores how cloud development environments (CDEs) give agencies a foundation to accelerate software delivery without sacrificing control — and why that foundation matters even more as AI-powered coding agents enter the workflow. He'll cover how CDEs keep source code off endpoints, enforce zero-trust access patterns, and provide the consistent, ephemeral infrastructure that both human developers and AI agents need to operate safely at scale. **Speakers:** Stay tuned as we are updating speakers and schedules. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support AI developers community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, but also gain exposure to our extensive membership base of 5,000+ AI developers in D.C and 500K+ worldwide.

Join us for a special edition of **Discussions for a Better World**—an uplifting, music‑infused gathering featuring rapper, educator, and community‑builder **[Colby Jeffers](https://www.colbyjeffers.com/)**[.](https://www.colbyjeffers.com/) Colby’s work blends **hip‑hop, storytelling, and spiritual principles** to spark conversations about unity, justice, purpose, and the shared responsibility we all carry in building a better world. His songs and writings explore what it means to rise above division, see the nobility in one another, and turn our daily actions into contributions to humanity. In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, come and explore how we can unite as a people to build a better future! https://www.colbyjeffers.com/ Doors open at 7:00 pm. Complimentary snacks and refreshments will be provided. Plenty of free parking.

Whether you're Deaf, HoH, an interpreter, an ASL student, or just want to learn or practice American Sign Language (ASL), we welcome all levels of signers to come join us for an evening of ASL socializing and practice. This event occurs on the first and third Sundays of every month, in the heart of Fairfax County at the Fairfax Wegman's (corner of Route 29 and Monument Drive). We can be found on the upper level, typically near the stairs. We generally start around 7 pm. ASL beginners are welcome, but you should know the ASL alphabet and some basic signs - this is not an ASL class, but the more experienced signers are generally happy to help beginners learn and improve. There is no better way to develop your signing skills than by joining the conversation with other signers. There is a place for everyone to join, learn and practice. Regardless, we are always welcoming so don’t be discouraged to attend; this is very informal and new folks are always welcome. Note, some attendees arrive early and grab some of Wegman’s food for dinner, so you can combine a shopping trip with the ASL practice.

**Make sure to RSVP** **[here](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/27321/)** **at the Microsoft Reactor site** https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/reactor/events/27321/ We're excited to announce the **Microsoft Build 2026 Local Host Conference** happening in **Reston, VA,** on **Friday, June 19, 2026**, from **09.00 AM to 4 PM EDT**! This **free conference** will take place at the **Microsoft offices** at **11955 Freedom Dr, Reston, VA 20190, on the second floor in the rooms MPR RESTON-11955/2.2D, MPR RESTON-11955/2.2E, and MPR RESTON-11955/2.2C.** **Agenda:** * 09:00 AM - 09:30 AM: Registration and Breakfast * 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM: Build 2026 Keynotes Highlights * 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM: **Session:** Build context-aware agents at scale with Microsoft IQ * 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM: **Panel:** Ask Us Anything about AI (with focus on skilling and finding jobs) * 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM: Lunch * 01:00 PM - 2.30 PM: **Hands-On Lab:** From zero to deployed on Azure with AI agents * 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM: **Hands-on Lab:** Observe, optimize, and protect your hosted agents in Microsoft Foundry The venue is **Metro accessible via the Silver Line**, and there’s plenty of **paid parking available** in the Reston Town Center garages. We'll have **breakfast, lunch, and snacks** for all attendees! Make sure to **RSVP** — you’ll receive your **event badge at check-in**, and you’ll need it to attend. This in-person event is built for developers and cloud engineers who want to design, build, and deploy real-world AI solutions on Azure. Expect a hands-on, implementation-focused experience using Microsoft Foundry and GitHub Copilot with live demos, guided labs, and practical developer workflows. **What to expect:** * Key takeaways and announcements from Microsoft Build 2026 * Deep dive into Azure AI and Generative AI use cases * Live demos with Microsoft Foundry and GitHub Copilot * Hands-on labs to build and test AI-powered features end-to-end * Best practices for building AI-powered applications * Networking with the local AI developer community Whether you're shipping your first AI feature or scaling production systems, this event is designed to give you actionable insights to accelerate your AI journey with Microsoft.