If just a year ago the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) was dominated by a host of hypothetical scenarios about its development, today's professionals from all fields discuss its concrete everyday application. Orwellian narratives are increasingly rare, giving way to practical considerations. And these are precisely the focus of this year's Digitalk technology conference, organized by Capital weekly and LAUNCHub, on 14 May.
Artificial intelligence will be at the center of the programme, to be presented through the prism and experience of technology professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and directors of large local and international companies. In addition to lectures and in-person interviews, the audience will have the opportunity to get hands-on with technology trends in two workshops.
Looking to the future
This year, the first part of the Digitalk conference will be dedicated to forecasts. The event will be opened by technology doyen Jeremiah Owyang. He advises a range of businesses on how to adapt to the changing environment and, as he himself explains, "identifies trends before they happen". Owyang is currently a principal partner at Blitzscaling Ventures Fund and will bring his experience from Silicon Valley to Sofia.
"AI is not the future. AI is the present. The way we see and do digital business has already changed," says Daniel Kanchev, Product and Technology Manager at SiteGround. In his talk at the event, he will focus on the benefits of using AI in business. "AI is not a panacea for all your problems, AI has problems too. That shouldn't stop you from experimenting. AI should be used responsibly and appropriately," he told Capital weekly.
At Digitalk 2024, guests will find out details about the use of new technologies in various business areas, including biotechnology. In an on-stage interview, Barbara Julen, head of innovation and business development at AstraZeneca, will talk about how artificial intelligence is helping to speed up the development process for new pharmaceutical products and treatments. Representatives of the SOFConnect consortium and the consultant Airport Gurus will talk about the digitalization of Sofia Airport in a special panel.
Chatbots are just the beginning. Artificial intelligence is set to evolve, and at a rapid pace. "AI will have a much greater effect on businesses than previous generations of technology. Because of this speed of penetration, rules and regulations are being assembled on the fly and we need to plan our AI strategies taking future developments into account," says Rakuten Viber VP Atanas Raykov, who will participate in a panel discussion alongside Progress VP Lilia Mesechkova. "In two or three years, the way we use chat apps will be seriously transformed by AI," adds Raykov, who will present more of his predictions during the discussion.
Investment and entrepreneurship
The second half of the conference will be dedicated to startups and venture capital funds. In his lecture, Akis Brastos, a partner at Lakestar London fund, which closed a new portfolio of 600 million dollars in early April, will talk about investments in artificial intelligence. As the tradition goes, Digitalk will once again bring together representatives from various funds in a panel discussion moderated by LAUNCHub partner Stefan Ganchev.
At the beginning of the year, tech unicorn Redis, which develops open source software in the database space, chose Sofia over five other locations for its next development center, which will work on all of the company's products. In an on-stage interview at Digitalk, its founder Ivan Atanasov will talk about their decision to choose Bulgaria for the expansion of their business. "I want to stress the importance of innovation in the technological world and how it contributes to the development of business and society in general," he told Capital weekly.
Tiziano Domenico Curci, head of databases at the company, will talk about how tech giant Amazon uses artificial intelligence. Eduardo Marquez, chief creative officer of the Publicis communications group for Belgium and the Netherlands, will take to the stage straight after him. The advertising industry is increasingly using tools based on artificial intelligence technology, from generating photos and videos to coming up with creative ideas. Marquez will talk specifically about what AI advertising will progress and how it will affect consumers.
This year's conference will conclude with an awards ceremony at the Digitalk&A1 Awards. Live guests will find out which are the most effective digital solutions in Bulgaria, whose best practices can serve as an example for the development of the technology industry in the country.
If just a year ago the conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) was dominated by a host of hypothetical scenarios about its development, today's professionals from all fields discuss its concrete everyday application. Orwellian narratives are increasingly rare, giving way to practical considerations. And these are precisely the focus of this year's Digitalk technology conference, organized by Capital weekly and LAUNCHub, on 14 May.
