News Release

The Jacobs School Represents at San Diego Comic-Con

August 25, 2025--- From discussing the best invention to examining the way AI has been represented in movies, Jacobs School researchers took the stage at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. 

Professor Laurel Riek, in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, took part in a panel titled “The Evolution of AI through Film and in Reality,” organized by the Fleet Science Center. She shared the stage with writers for the popular Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, James and Sharla Oliver, as well as other researchers. Riek leads the Healthcare Robotics Lab at UC San Diego and is an expert in human-robot interaction, healthcare robotics and artificial intelligence. 

Associate Professor Mike Tolley, in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, took part in a panel titled the Best Invention Ever!--Phineas and Ferb, also organized by the Fleet Science Center. He shared the stage with Phineas and Ferb creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, as well as a number of other researchers and engineers. The panel was moderated by Fleet Science Center CEO Steven Snyder. Tolley is an expert on soft robotics and directs the Bioinspired Robotics and Design Lab at UC San Diego. 

If you missed them at San Diego Comic-Con, you can now watch the panels on the Fleet’s YouTube Channel!

The Evolution of AI through Film and in Reality:

Best Invention Ever!--Phineas and Ferb:

Media Contacts

Ioana Patringenaru
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-822-0899
ipatrin@ucsd.edu