The networking platform for artificial intelligence
Long before the big hype, we were already engaged with artificial intelligence. In 2018, we hosted the first Microsoft AI Festival. Over two days, we brought together people from diverse work and life backgrounds for lectures, discussions, and workshops.
The central question of the AI Festival was: How will our work, health, and planet evolve through the use of AI? Representatives from NGOs, politics, media, and the online community engaged in intense discussions with AI experts on these topics.
The event was a huge success—not just for the 300 invited guests, but also in terms of broader reach, as the AI Festival trended at number 2 on Twitter’s Trending Topics. Additionally, there were over 30 publications in print and online media.
Inspiring stage program
With artificial intelligence, we can shape the future! AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges of our time. However, there are also concerns, prejudices, and fears, often stemming from uncertainty about what AI can and cannot do. To illustrate how we can harness these technologies and envision an intelligent future, we organized a series of inspiring lectures and panels.
Importantly, our festival is entirely collaborative. As a pioneer in the responsible use of AI, Microsoft aims to demonstrate that people will guide the direction of AI development. Participation and discussion are more than welcome.
Collaborative workshops
The AI Festival is a platform for active participation, knowledge exchange, and networking. To facilitate this, we organized a variety of workshops.
Our motto was: Experience, Create, Learn! We encouraged participants to engage with AI, address people’s concerns, and develop frameworks for a more humane and improved future. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to try out and experience new technologies on-site.
Roundtable discussions
Can AI improve the world? We explored this question with a community of practitioners, experts, and decision-makers from various fields, and we created space for controversial dialogues.
In the end, it became clear: AI has the potential to fundamentally change our future. However, there’s no need to mystify this technology. On the contrary, it’s time for all societal groups to begin shaping the future with AI.
Coverage online and in the media
