From Keynotes to Demos: Autodesk Research Sizzled at AU 25

AU 2025 wrapped up in Nashville earlier this fall, and the Autodesk Research team once again made a big impact. With a dedicated Research Zone featuring demos, representation in the AI Zone, keynote inclusion, sessions, and even a game experience, the Autodesk Research team was highly visible throughout the three-day event.

A selection of Research sessions are available to view on demand, including:

• • • Digital Builder Podcast Featuring Fope Bademosi and Lorenzo Villaggi
    • From Idea to Assembly: Reimaging Product Design with Generative AI
    • Innovators Stage | AI for Design: What’s now and What’s Next
    • Move over Large Language Models; Make Way for Industry
    • Preparing for an AI-Enabled Future
    • Supercharge your Browser-Based Autodesk Platform Services Applications with WebAssembly

In addition to these talks and workshops, Autodesk Research hosted a Research Zone in the Expo Hall at AU 2025. Comprised of two project showcases—AI for Net Zero Buildings and Performance-Aided Design—the zone offered attendees an opportunity to engage more deeply with Research work via artifacts and conversations with subject matter experts from Research. A key highlight was demos, which provided users with an interactive glimpse into the future of design and make.

The Research team also featured prominently in the AI Zone, with two demo artifacts built in the Technology Centers.

The neural CAD for geometry sculpture created showcases the capabilities of Autodesk’s generative AI foundation model, which learns from real-world data to produce editable CAD objects. This artwork, resembling a design genome, features 28 bicycle pedals arranged in a double helix, leading to a central AI-generated pair symbolizing the physical manifestation of generative intelligence.

The neural CAD for buildings sculpture celebrates Autodesk’s generative AI foundation model tailored for the AEC industry, which aids architects and designers in swiftly transitioning from early conceptual massing models to detailed building layouts. The installation, arranged in a dynamic spiral, features seven 3D-printed building layouts representing the stages of design evolution, from broad massing to intricate layouts.

It’s never too soon to start thinking about AU 2026, scheduled to take place September 15-17 in Las Vegas.