The second annual Belfast AI CON event is set to take place online next Thursday and Friday, with a special focus on AI in art, culture, and society.
Belfast has become a hotbed of artificial intelligence start-ups in the past several years, from companies like BrainWaveBank using AI to perform neurocognitive analysis to medical 3D printing firm Axial3D using AI to rapidly process medical scans into physical models. As the world moves more toward automation powered by AI, local experts have been getting together to discuss the industry.
Last year's AI Con event organised by Kainos was a massive success, showcasing some of the tangible applications of AI in areas such as FinTech and MedTech. We also heard talks from AI engineers on some of the ethical problems emerging in the field, such as the talk from Kainos' Claire Houston on how discrimination and bias is often incorporated into AI systems.
This year’s event will be taking place online with a live broadcast from the AI CON studio in Belfast and with a diverse range of speakers. The event will showcase AI in the FinTech industry and the public sector, but this year there will also be a significant focus on the impact of AI on society, the arts, and culture. We'll hear about how AI is boosting the screen and creative industries.
Co-organiser Austin Tanney has been a strong proponent of gatherings to discuss the AI industry, having also been involved in getting the Artificial Intelligence Northern Ireland (AINI) meetup community together. AINI now boasts over 1,400 members from across the NI tech community, and has run a series of successful events and AI hackathons.
While the AINI events have been on hold recently due to Covid-19, the group will be involved in presenting this year's AI Con. "This year Ive personally decided to do something a bit different," Austin explained in an email to the AINI community. "Ive decided to completely forget about AI in the workplace and focus on the impact of AI on Art, Culture and Society."
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Guest speakers will include Estonian National Digital adviser Martin Kavaets, who was recently featured on the Netflix documentary "Connected" and will talk about Estonia's drive to digital dominance and the Estonian AI Strategy. Google's Pablo Samuel will be discussing AI in music and art, and there will be a series of panels with Austin Tanney and guests from across the AI spectrum.
The event is free to everyone this year, but you have to book your place in advance in order to access the live content on the day. Head over to www.aicon2020.com for more information or to book your spot at the event.
Source: Written based on press release
