AI Con returns to address the opportunities and challenges of AI at Titanic Belfast

Now in its third year, the event on December 3 will bring together world-leading technology professionals and business leaders to examine how artificial intelligence is changing our world and the opportunities and challenges it presents.

The themes for this year’s conference, which hosted 450 attendees in its first year and 800 in a virtual format last year, include Applied AI, AI Next and the Business of AI.

These are designed for a general audience, tech audience and business audience respectively, and encompass everything from how AI can add value to organisations to the next generation of AI and what startups in the space should know.

In person attendance will take place at Titanic Belfast. Supported by Kainos, Ulster University, Matrix, Allstate NI, Innovate UK, Digital Catapult NI and Datactics the conference will feature some of the top figures in the field, with other leading professionals streaming in from across the globe from companies such as Microsoft and AWS.

Tortoise, who maintain the Global AI Index, will be sharing the latest update with attendees and will look at how small regions can have a disproportionate impact on the AI sector.

AI Con, director of Innovation at Kainos, Tom Gray, said: “The success of AI Con over the last two years has proved that activity related to the field is growing significantly in Northern Ireland and expanding across every sector. This is a rapid growth area with a huge amount of work being done locally by tech companies.

“The importance of AI as a tool for improving business and society is still emerging. This conference will provide an opportunity to showcase new developments in AI that can support societal and economic recovery. With Belfast now being a recognised tech hub, and with more and more business choosing Northern Ireland, AI Con provides the perfect platform to bring debate, discussion and the sharing of ideas to a bigger audience.”

Kathryn Harkin, AI CON chair and senior manager at Allstate NI, added: “I am thrilled to be involved in AI Con this year following a hugely successful virtual conference in 2020. It is clear to see the appetite that exists for knowledge sharing and networking between tech companies and business leaders in this area of technology.

“AI is changing all of our lives and the conference showcases how Northern Irish companies are bringing their expertise to the world stage and making our region a highly competitive one in the technology arena. These conversations between technology and business leaders are needed now more than ever on an area that can provide innovative solutions and open up opportunities for business.”