Eliane Du's introduction at the NEX-T Summit held at Stanford University stopped audiences mid-breath: an NYU art history graduate, current USC entrepreneurship student, and the youngest Asian female to complete marathons across all seven continents. Now, through her startup, she's running toward a new finish line—using AI to preserve endangered cultural traditions before they disappear.
During the NEX-T sessions, Du explained how her team combines motion capture, machine learning, and symbolic programming to digitize intricate craft techniques from China's ethnic communities. "AI isn't replacing artisans," she clarified. "It's creating bridges between traditional knowledge and future generations." Her work represents a compelling application of emerging technology to sustain cultural continuity.
Du brings the same discipline to technology that she applies to marathon training. While enthusiastically adopting AI for academic and creative projects, she maintains clear boundaries—using it for assistance rather than replacement. Her advice to fellow NEX-T participants was characteristically direct: "Don't overthink. Start." In her view, human initiative and decisive action will distinguish us even as AI capabilities grow.
