AtlanTec conference to bring AI experts together in Galway


22 May 2019

The robots are coming to NUI Galway. Image: Andrew Downes/Xposure

ITAG’s AI-focused AtlanTec event promises to bring great minds together to discuss the future of technology.

The fifth annual AtlanTec conference takes place on Friday, 30 May 2019 in NUI Galway.

AtlanTec is organised by ITAG (IT Association Galway). “Great minds are attracted by the AtlanTec conference’s growing popularity year on year, and by the region’s worldwide IT reputation,” said ITAG CEO Caroline Cawley.

The focus point of this year’s conference is artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the fourth industrial revolution and the future of technology. The speaker line-up gathers experts in the field such as Inigo Viti, an AI and cognitive technology expert from IBM; and Gary Short, a cloud solution architect for advanced analytics and AI at Microsoft.

Viti has almost two decades of experience in international consulting focused on business transformation programmes. Short is a third-time AtlanTec speaker and promises insights into AI and machine learning as they apply to real-world situations.

Keynotes from around the world

The one-day conference expects to attract more than 400 business leaders, software developers and technologists.

Dr Patricia Scanlon, founder and CEO of Soapbox Labs and one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech, will deliver a keynote. Soapbox Labs is a pioneering voice recognition company focused on children’s speech. Based in Dublin, Soapbox Labs’ technology specialises in applications for gaming, VR, AR, toys, robotics, accessibility and education. Scanlon herself holds a PhD in speech recognition technology and machine-learning systems, and the company is founded on her deep knowledge and research in this area.

Joining Scanlon on the AtlanTec line-up is Ally Watson, CEO and co-founder of the award-winning Code Like a Girl, who was named by The Sydney Morning Herald as one of Australia’s most influential women entrepreneurs of 2017. Originally from Scotland, Watson is a computer science graduate and developer who founded her organisation in 2015 as a way to meet other women who code. Having hosted her own events to provide an innovative and inclusive learning environment for women in tech, she now aims to inspire new generations to acquire skills through workshops and networking.

Another international speaker will be Canadian Catharine Bowman, a medical researcher whose interests centre on novel pharmaceutical technologies, AI and next-generation imaging. Bowman has presented her research across North America, receiving accolades from medical experts and researchers alike. In 2015, she initiated a campaign called ‘Let’s Talk Lymphedema’, spurring on her advocacy for underrecognised medical conditions.

The AtlanTec conference marks the conclusion of the AtlanTec Festival, which started in April. Other events include Design Thinking for Teens, music technology with the Swansea Laptop Orchestra, the Tech Tag World Championships, the Digital Women’s Forum Afternoon Tea and a series of events for secondary school students.