The GenAI community returned to Vienna, but this time, it wasn't just the breathtaking cityscape expanding our horizons—it was an evening that pushed the boundaries of AI exploration like never before! 🌆✨
On November 5th, Ruben Hetfleisch hosted over 150 attendees and AI pioneers on the 21st floor of the Uniqa Tower, guiding us through an inspiring sunset session.
After a warm welcome, Julia Neidhardt, professor at TU Wien and head of the Christian Doppler Lab for Recommender Systems, opened the event with insights into generative AI’s impact on recommender systems. She emphasized how digital humanism is shaping AI research, advocating for technology that respects universal human rights to foster a better society. Digital Humanism focuses on the complex relationship between technology and humanity, aiming to ensure technological progress supports and enhances human values.
Next, Davide Righini from Klagenfurt-based startup PiktID delivered an engaging keynote, humorously titled “Beyond Cat Memes.” Behind the lighthearted name was an impressive showcase of their AI model, which can manipulate images based on spoken instructions. This capability has powerful applications in marketing, enabling rapid image edits and personalization, particularly in altering human appearances. The technology also offers valuable potential for anonymizing individuals in visual content.
Finally, Günter Klambauer, Professor at JKU Linz and co-author of “xLSTM,” presented one of the year’s most groundbreaking AI research papers in Austria—and possibly Europe. He demonstrated how xLSTM, with its innovative memory structure and exponential gating, excels in language modeling compared to transformers and state space models. Scaling laws suggest that larger xLSTM models could soon rival today’s prominent language models.
Following these compelling talks, a panel discussion brought all speakers together with Marco Lang and Alexander Petzmann from Uniqa, where an eager audience took the opportunity to quiz the experts. In his closing remarks, Ruben Hetfleisch encouraged the crowd to “drop their guard” and connect authentically with each other, setting the tone for a lively networking session. Host Alin Kalam then opened the buffet, marking the start of an evening of spirited conversation and connection.
GenAI Community & AI Austria extend their heartfelt thanks to Uniqa for providing the venue, food, and beverages. We also thank each keynote speaker, our dedicated community volunteers, and every guest who joined us for this inspiring event. We look forward to our next gathering—see you there!
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