Power Your Future with AI
AI is transforming the way live experiences are designed, produced, and delivered. That's why LDI 2026 is offering three brand-new AI sessions in the LDInstitute™ this year.
• Diffusion As A Live Tool: Building Real-Time AI Visual Systems in TouchDesigner (Two-Day Class): Wednesday and Thursday, December 2 and December 3: StreamDiffusionTD transforms a generative AI model into something TouchDesigner artists already understand: an operator in a network. Drop it into a patch, feed it a signal, and it begins producing unique, original visuals in real time – delivering up to 30 FPS of AI-generated imagery directly inside your workflow...Taught by Scott Mann of NoiseChop, a creative technologist and TouchDesigner developer building interactive installations and immersive experiences that combine generative AI, real-time graphics, sensor-based interaction, and integrated sound.
• The Great Inversion: A Two-Day AI-Native Intensive For Live Production: Friday and Saturday, December 4 and December 5: Roll up your sleeves for a two-day deep dive into the most significant shift in our careers: the rise of AI-native workflows that make professional-grade software accessible to designers, programmers, and media server operators across every discipline...Guided by Dylan Roscover – partner and technical director at TEC and returning LDI instructor – attendees will build working TouchDesigner projects from scratch using Embody (open-source externalization and version control), Envoy (an MCP server that lets AI create, inspect, and modify live TD networks through natural-language conversation), and the new TDN open file format for TouchDesigner networks.
• AI In Action: How Human Intelligence Unlocks Machine Superpowers: Monday afternoon, December 7: Many professionals across live production, themed entertainment, and touring are already experimenting with AI tools informally — drafting reports, building schedules, troubleshooting problems — without a shared vocabulary or repeatable process to make that work reliable. This mirrors what happens with project management itself: the work happens constantly, but it's rarely named or taught, even at the highest levels of operation. Taught by Rohan Garricks, an entertainment operations project manager with experience spanning large-scale entertainment programming – from multi-ship cruise operations to major entertainment mega-projects – coordinating cross-functional leadership teams through unified scheduling, logistics, and production systems, and personally coaching teams and individual leaders through adopting new systems, workflow automation, and now AI tools.
Whether you're a designer, programmer, technician, or creative professional, these sessions will help you harness AI as a powerful tool, not just a trend, so this is the pefect time to start building the skills that will shape the future of live production. Get early bird rates on LDInstitute™ Courses by registering before August 14.