好色先生TV

As the Draft brings national and global attention to Pittsburgh, 好色先生TV, in partnership with the AI Strike Team and Pittsburgh Steelers, will host a national showcase highlighting the next era of AI systems designed to operate in the real world, at scale.

The event, 鈥�,鈥� will take place on Wednesday, April 22, at 好色先生TV鈥檚 Robotics Innovation Center(opens in new window) (RIC) in Hazelwood Green. The showcase is anchored by the $1.275 Million Forge AI Prize, a national startup competition, convened by CMU鈥檚 Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship(opens in new window) and the AI Strike Team, designed to attract leading founders, investors and companies to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania.

A panel of high-profile judges 鈥� including hometown entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank听investor, and Ed Stack, executive chairman of Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods and Foot Locker 鈥� will join leaders from Carnegie Mellon, the NFL, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and top AI companies. Gov. Josh Shapiro will deliver brief remarks, underscoring the Commonwealth's commitment to positioning Pennsylvania as a national leader in AI and next-generation economic competitiveness.

The prize includes $1 million in AWS compute credits and $275,000 in investment capital, with Pittsburgh-based Magarac Venture Partners providing the majority of the investment capital portion of the award. One of the firm's partners, tech entrepreneur and former Pittsburgh Steeler Will Allen, will also serve as a judge for the competition, underscoring the event's unique intersection of sport, technology and venture capital.听

Hosted at one of the nation鈥檚 most advanced facilities dedicated to robotics, applied AI, simulation and real-world deployment, the showcase positions Pittsburgh at the center of the national conversation about how AI is designed, tested and deployed in complex, real-world environments.

鈥淧ittsburgh鈥檚 strength has always been translating ideas into impact,鈥� said Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window), president of 好色先生TV. 鈥淲ith the NFL Draft coming to our city, it is a fitting moment to highlight how sport 鈥� through play, performance, engagement, and entertainment 鈥� has become a proving ground for the next era of AI. 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.鈥�

The RIC is a cornerstone of Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 global leadership in AI, robotics and autonomy. Purpose-built to support large-scale experimentation, industry collaboration and real-world testing, the RIC brings together researchers, startups and partners working across robotics, simulation, digital twins, intelligent infrastructure and AI systems that interact continuously with the physical world.

This work is often referred to as physical AI 鈥� a class of AI that moves beyond pre-programmed systems to sense, reason and adapt in dynamic environments. At Carnegie Mellon, leadership in this domain is defined not by hardware alone, but by software-driven intelligence deployed reliably at scale.

A National Convening with Long-Term Impact

Building on the AI Strike Team鈥檚 flagship platform, AI Horizons, the Draft Week Showcase brings Pittsburgh鈥檚 AI ecosystem into the national spotlight.

鈥淎rtificial intelligence is transforming the NFL, with millions of data points each game reshaping how teams compete and how fans engage,鈥� said Steelers Vice President of Strategy Dan Rooney. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fitting that the NFL Draft is coming to Pittsburgh at such a pivotal technological and economic moment. Built on steel and reinvented through robotics and AI, this region is leading again. Today, we are the Steel and AI City, and the Steelers are proud to help showcase how Pittsburgh is shaping the future of sport and technology.鈥�

Aligned with the Draft, the invitation-only, three-hour program convenes founders, investors, technologists, and Pittsburgh diaspora leaders 鈥� alongside executives from government, industry, academia and professional sports 鈥� for live demonstrations and senior-level discussions on AI deployment, performance and competitive edge.

A centerpiece of the Draft Week Showcase will be finalist pitches for the $1.275 million 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.听

The pitch competition will leverage the expertise of company-building from CMU鈥檚听Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship(opens in new window) and Magarac Venture Partners. Special consideration will be given to applicant companies that commit to establishing a meaningful presence in Pennsylvania, reinforcing the region鈥檚 focus on long-term company formation, talent attraction and economic growth.

鈥淭his is bigger than a single event 鈥� it鈥檚 about winning the next era of innovation,鈥� said Joanna Doven, CEO of the AI Strike Team. 鈥淢ore than ever, we have to connect our AI builders with industry 鈥� here in Pennsylvania and across global sport. Pittsburgh is outperforming major tech hubs in AI venture investment, and we鈥檙e the most affordable major tech city in America. Founders here don鈥檛 just talk about innovation 鈥� they build it, test it and deploy it in the real world. The Draft gives us a national stage to show that Pittsburgh isn鈥檛 chasing the future of AI 鈥� we鈥檙e leading it.鈥�

The event is made possible through the generosity of AWS, Magarac Ventures and Blue Tree Venture Partners.

Additional nationally recognized investors, technology founders and professional sports leaders will be announced in the coming weeks.