AAFS 2025: Previewing the Keynote Address

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference is underway, and it is taking place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. This annual conference brings together forensic scientists, researchers, government officials, and industry professionals, among others, to discuss the latest trends and advancements in forensic science.

This year, the AAFS Conference theme is “Technology: A Tool for Transformation of Tyranny” (1,2). Most of the oral sessions and plenary lectures that are taking place throughout the conference touch upon the influence of new technological innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), on forensic applications.

Baltimore, Maryland, USA Skyline | Image Credit: © SeanPavonePhoto - stock.adobe.com

AI in particular has been expanding rapidly in all scientific disciplines, including forensic analysis. There are several tangible benefits of using AI. For example, AI allows scientists to accelerate their research projects (3). Some of these research projects are tackling important, pressing issues. For example, AI has been used to analyze images of cells, which ensures higher accuracy in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases (3). Ultimately, AI has helped clinicians diagnose their patients quicker and therefore streamline their outcomes (3). AI has also helped scientists design experiments and identify patterns in data much quicker (3).

However, advancements in this space have grown rapidly, and scientists and the public at large struggle to keep up with the many changes occurring in this space. The Keynote Address at AAFS is set to help forensic analysts understand the technological changes occurring in their field (4). The keynote will include a discussion about the latest technology and how it is being used by forensic analysts and by criminals (4). The session will also address the emerging ethical practices regarding using AI and how to properly disclose AI's role in research (4).

This year’s keynote speaker is Michael Rogers from New York, New York. Rogers is well-known in the AI space and has had an extensive career in journalism, writing, and technology. He is most known as a best-selling author, futurist, and technology pioneer who previously worked for The New York Times as a futurist in-residence (4). A futurist is someone who specializes in investigating the possibilities about the future and how people will live and work in the future (5).

Michael Rogers currently runs a consultancy called Practical Futurist. In his work, he has advised major companies like FedEx, Boeing, Microsoft, and Pfizer on future-focused strategies (4). A sought-after speaker, he frequently appears on radio and television (4).

Rogers began his career writing for Rolling Stone and co-founded Outside magazine before launching Newsweek’s technology column, earning multiple journalism awards. As vice president of The Washington Post Company’s new media division for a decade, he played a pivotal role in the digital transition of Newsweek and The Washington Post, earning patents for multimedia technology and recognition for his online coverage of 9/11 (4).

As an author, Rogers’s novels have been published worldwide, and several have been selected for the Book-of-the-Month club (4). Some of his books have also been optioned for films. He studied physics and creative writing at Stanford University, with additional studies in finance and management at Stanford Business School’s Executive Program (4). Rogers currently lives in New York City, where he is working on multiple book and television projects. His latest book is titled Email from the Future: Notes from 2084 (4).

Rogers’s selection as a keynote speaker helps reinforce the theme of the AAFS Conference, and his insights will set the stage for the conversations that will take place at the conference about the use of AI in forensic analysis.

References

(1) Forensic Mag, 77th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Forensic Mag. Available at: https://www.forensicmag.com/3694-Events/616065-77th-Annual-Scientific-Conference-of-the-American-Academy-of-Forensic-Sciences/ (accessed 2025-02-12).

(2) American Academy of Forensic Sciences, AAFS 2025. AAFS.org. Available at: https://www.aafs.org/annual-conference (accessed 2025-02-12).

(3) Frueh, S. How AI is Shaping Scientific Discovery. National Academies. Available at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2023/11/how-ai-is-shaping-scientific-discovery (accessed 2025-02-13).

(4) American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Online Program. AAFS.org. Available at: https://www.aafs.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2025%20Final%20Program_1.28.25.pdf (accessed 2025-02-13).

(5) Sardar, Z. The Namesake: Futures; Futures Studies; Futurology; Futuristic; Foresight—What's in a Name? Futures 2010, 42 (3), 177–184. DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2009.11.001