UT San Antonio researcher joins 19-member World Economic Forum computing council

Nineteen global experts have been selected to advise world leaders on emerging computing technologies, and one of them is a San Antonio-based researcher. Dhireesha Kudithipudi, the founding director of the MATRIX AI Consortium at UT San Antonio, was named to the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Next-Generation Computing this month.

The council functions as a specialized knowledge network within the World Economic Forum. It consists of 37 thematic groups containing more than 700 experts who address critical global issues. Kudithipudi will serve alongside professionals from major organizations, including IBM Research, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, UC Berkeley, the University of Toronto, and the European Space Agency.

The group’s work directly influences the Next-Generation Computing Framework, a report released in October 2026 in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. The document provides guidance to governments and organizations regarding the technologies and strategic priorities that will shape the future of computing worldwide. Kudithipudi also received a special invitation to attend the Forum’s Quantum Economy Day in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month.

Kudithipudi’s research focuses on neuromorphic AI, a field that models artificial intelligence on the structure and function of the human brain. Traditional AI models often consume large amounts of energy because they separate memory and processing units. Neuromorphic systems aim to solve this by integrating these functions, allowing machines to learn and adapt with significantly lower energy use.

In January 2025, Kudithipudi served as the lead author for a review paper published in the journal Nature. The paper brought together international experts to examine methods for scaling neuromorphic computing. Her work aligns with the council’s goal of creating computing systems that are more powerful while remaining sustainable and centered on human needs.

Under her leadership, the MATRIX AI Consortium has grown into a transdisciplinary network of nearly 90 scientists. The group spans three organizations and includes expertise in engineering, neuroscience, ethics, medicine, and computing. The consortium works on real-world challenges in healthcare, energy, cybersecurity, and smart cities.

Kudithipudi leads national research efforts for the consortium and serves as an institutional lead for two Centers of Excellence. She contributes to a total of six such collaborations that unite academia, national laboratories, and industry. These efforts support MATRIX’s research portfolio, which includes adaptive AI, energy-efficient edge computing, and computing in extreme environments.

UT San Antonio has built physical hardware infrastructure to support these technologies. This year, Kudithipudi led the launch of THOR: The Neuromorphic Commons, which is described as the nation’s first open-access hub for brain-inspired computing. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the platform integrates specialized hardware, new software frameworks, and deployment infrastructure.

Access to THOR allows researchers, engineers, neuroscientists, startups, and federal agencies to deploy and test neuromorphic applications on a unified platform. Kudithipudi stated that the appointment expands the university's participation in international discussions while creating opportunities for new research collaborations and partnerships.

She noted that the future of computing requires a shift toward energy-efficient, brain-inspired systems capable of learning and adapting over time. The consortium continues to advance this vision through foundational research, next-generation computing architectures, and real-world systems designed to shape the future of AI.