4 AI Conferences Professionals Should Know

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry is evolving quickly. Thanks to continuous technological advancements (and even the COVID-19 pandemic), organizational leaders across industries have been forced to find innovative strategies to streamline and improve their businesses. The result has been a broader embrace and investment into automation and AI.

That’s good news for individuals who are considering breaking into the field of artificial intelligence, as well as those who are looking for ways of gaining the benefits that AI has to offer for their own organizations.

If this sounds like you, it’s important to stay on top of the latest industry news and trends; it’s also important to continuously build and nurture your network. Attending an industry conference is an excellent way of achieving all of these goals. 

Of course, many conferences and events have been on hold for the past year as we have struggled with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some events have been postponed, canceled, or have migrated to an virtual format. Looking ahead to the remainder of 2021 and 2022, you’ll find that these events are a mix of virtual, in-person, and hybrid options offering opportunities to attend no matter your situation. 

Below is an overview of some of the top AI conferences that you may want to consider attending in 2021 and 2022. 

Top Artificial Intelligence Conferences to Attend

AI World Conference & Expo

Dates: July 14, 2021; 2022 TBD

Format: Virtual in 2021; In-person in 2022

Location: Online in 2021; Boston, MA in 2022

Coming in July 2021, AI World is holding a virtual executive summit on the future of AI. According to their site, attendees of this virtual conference will be able to: 

• Separate the hype from the reality of what AI can do
• Learn what’s coming next and how to address the critical issues that will impact their businesses
• Build a business case and identify clear metrics to track ROI and deliver value
• Hear use cases from pioneers across a multitude of industries who are successfully deploying AI
• Gain practical insights on how to implement and scale your next project
• Be part of the conversation at this critical junction where technology meets business leave with actionable insights to bring back to their teams.

Although the official date for the 2022 AI World Conference & Expo has yet to be announced, it will be held in person in Boston, MA. The theme conference is “Accelerating AI ROI in the Enterprise,” which focuses on how company leaders are using AI to transform and successfully scale their businesses. 

Key speakers will present on how AI can help measure, track, and deliver improved ROI and provide you with practical insights on how to scale it within your organization. In 2019, AI World attracted more than 90 experts, held over 50 sessions, and hosted over 50 sponsors and exhibitors, so 2022 is sure to be a success.

Ai4

Dates: August 17-19, 2021

Format: Virtual

Location: Virtual

The Ai4 conference will be virtual in 2021. This exclusive event remains an application-only conference, “ensur[ing] that attendees are getting the best possible networking opportunities with prominent leaders within their industries” and attracting senior-level executives and data practitioners within the AI industry.

With over 1,500 attendees and 100 exhibitors, Ai4 focuses on creating intimate networking opportunities for all attendees—business and technical professionals alike—by delivering content and panels that help progress a business’s use of AI, whether your company is just starting to incorporate AI strategically or is already an adopter. This year, the Ai4 conference will host speakers from companies like JetBlue, Bloomberg, and Amazon, and host tracks covering cybersecurity, finance, healthcare, retail, energy, and more.

RE•WORK Events in Artificial Intelligence

Dates: Multiple events

Format: Online and/or in-person, depending on the conference

Location: Major cities around the globe

If you’re hoping to attend a wide variety of AI-related events, look no further than RE•WORK’s conferences. RE•WORK has brought together high-quality education and industry experience since 2013 by hosting over 15 events slated through early 2022, covering the latest technical advancements, academic research, and industry use-cases to help businesses and society solve challenges through the use of AI and deep learning. 

There are multiple events you can attend, such as the AI Fraud Detection Summit, Women in AI Virtual, Deep Learning Summit, Conversational AI in HR, and AI Ethics Conference, to name a few. 

The best part? By attending a RE•WORK event, you’re not limited to attending only conferences. The organization offers dinners, receptions, conferences, and summit events, allowing you to network and learn the latest industry news in a way that suits you best. RE•WORK publishes multiple whitepapers, videos, and even hosts a globally acclaimed podcast series featuring “Women in AI” and “Rising Stars.”

RE•WORK’s partners and attendees are experts in their fields and include leaders from Salesforce, Google, Apple, MIT Technology Review, Facebook, Forbes, and others.

Global Big Data Conference

Dates: 2022 dates TBD

Format: Virtual

Location: Virtual

The Global Big Data Conference touts itself as the “largest vendor-agnostic conference in the AI space,” thanks to its wide range of industries, including but not limited to finance, e-commerce, biotech, energy, education, manufacturing, and agriculture. 

The 2021 event took place virtually from May 10-15 this year. More than 100 leading technical innovators discussed using AI-cognitive computing, chatbots, data science and machine learning, IoT, security, and data analytics to generate and mine historical data to better understand and predict consumer behavior. This highly interactive conference attracted over 3,000 attendees and hosted over 65 sessions. Dates for 2022 have yet to be announced.

Other Ways to Advance Your Career

Attending conferences is a great way to bolster your network, engage with AI pioneers and industry experts, and stay on top of industry trends. 

Of course, attending conferences alone will never replace the impact of quality education. If you’re considering a career in artificial intelligence, know that most employers prefer, if not require, applicants to hold an advanced degree in a related field, such as a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence. 

At Northeastern, the MS in Artificial Intelligence program offers students the opportunity to learn from industry leaders within the field. The program prioritizes hands-on, experiential learning through co-ops, allowing you to immediately put your education into action for some of the most prestigious companies leveraging AI today. Consider enrolling to take the first step toward a fulfilling career in the exciting artificial intelligence field.