Transformative Technology

The next time you see AI-generated art, you’re seeing the legacy of a UC San Diego pioneer. In the 1970s, Visual Arts professor Harold Cohen built AARON, one of the world’s first programs to create original artwork entirely on its own. Long before AI went mainstream, Cohen showed that computers could be creative partners — a discovery that laid the foundation for today’s explosion of digital and AI-driven art, where code and creativity now inspire each other worldwide.

The smartphone in your hand carries decades of UC San Diego innovation. It began with Irwin Jacobs, who taught here before founding Qualcomm and developing CDMA — the wireless system that made mobile communication possible worldwide. Years later, professor Peter Asbeck created transistors that amplified weak signals without draining battery life, paving the way for smaller, longer-lasting phones. More recently, Alexander Vardy and his colleagues designed algorithms that help 5G networks deliver faster downloads and smoother streaming. Together, their breakthroughs turned early digital research into the smartphones we rely on every day – so every time you make a call, stream a video or send a photo, you’re using technology shaped by generations of UC San Diego engineers.

The athleisure you wear for yoga class might have roots in a UC San Diego lab. The nylon used in Lululemon activewear was developed in partnership with Genomatica — a company co-founded by bioengineering professor Bernhard Palsson and alumnus Christopher Shilling. Genomatica uses biotechnology to turn plants into the building blocks for nylon, replacing materials traditionally made from fossil fuels. It’s proof that sustainable science can look good, feel good and do good for the planet.

Ever wonder how we can stream a movie while riding a bus? Engineers at UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute pioneered the technology that integrates a moving WiFi signal with cellular networks, using error recovery algorithms and procedures to overcome glitchy wireless connections. Early prototypes were tested on campus buses, then the innovation was refined to support stroke telemedicine and disaster response. Now, the invention keeps us connected everywhere — from emergency care to commuter playlists.