NI Science Festival has launched its 2025 programme which will host a series of tech events as part of a 12-day extravaganza that will bring science to life with hundreds of events across Northern Ireland from 12 – 23 February.
Established in 2014, NI Science Festival has grown to become the largest celebration of its kind on the island of Ireland and one of the leading science festivals in Europe.
For its 11th edition, the festival will present more than 300 events across Northern Ireland, focusing on our rich and diverse natural environment, our engineering and manufacturing heritage, sustainability, technology, the mind and body, and much more.
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NI Science Festival director Sarah Jones said: “The NI Science Festival is a celebration of science, creativity, and the world around us, designed to be engaging and enjoyable for everyone. Over 12 days, the festival will pop up in venues across Northern Ireland, showcasing the incredible work of local researchers and scientists alongside some well-known guest speakers. This year’s programme is packed with exciting events for all ages, offering something for everyone. It’s an opportunity to embrace the joy of discovery, explore the power of ideas, and celebrate the possibilities science brings to our everyday lives.”
The festival presents The Ethics of AI - Navigating the Future. Chaired by Rebecca Walsh, Matrix Panel member and Director & Head of Service Design at Big Motive, Dr. Charlotte Blease, health informaticist, and Holly Toner, Data & AI Ethics Tech Lead, Kainos, discuss the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, exploring how AI impacts society and decision-making.
At DroneVirus – What Made My Drones Go Rogue? Dr Vishal Sharma will provide an understanding of drones, including their inner workings, their communication weaknesses, and how even those with basic computing knowledge can exploit them for destructive purposes. The event will also highlight the importance of best coding practices and how you can explore these as potential areas of interest.
The future of AI and Humanity workshop includes talks and a panel discussion exploring technical, ethical, philosophical and theological issues on the future of AI.
At Data - Securing Our Future or Dominating Our Lives? a panel of experts will highlight some of the challenges they face and how their data driven solutions are making us safer, healthier, more productive and more sustainable, while respecting the need to ensure the privacy of the individual citizen and address the inequalities that our world unfortunately faces.
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Putting cybersecurity skills to the test at Cyber Battleground: A Hands-On CTF Workshop for Offensive & Defensive Security which will explore a wide range of vulnerabilities across web applications, software, and even artificial intelligence, gaining valuable insights into both attack and defence strategies.
For more information and to view the full programme, visit nisciencefestival.com.
Read Sync NI's free online Big Data Belfast autumn magazine here.
