On 24 September, the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference returned to Vienna, bringing together developers, business leaders, researchers and policymakers to explore how AI delivers value in practice.
Hosted at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, AAIC 2026 combined international keynotes, practical presentations, workshops, live demonstrations and B2B matchmaking. ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA and AI Austria organised the conference together with the Enterprise Europe Network and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG.
A common theme ran through the programme: successful AI adoption requires usable data, well-designed workflows, clear responsibilities and people who can turn technical capabilities into better business outcomes.
In her keynote, “AI @ IBM: Scaling Beyond the Pilot”, Verena Trost drew on IBM’s internal transformation to explain what organisations need to move from experimentation to repeatable value. Clara Cordes from Canva explored how AI supports visual communication across ideation, editing and campaign production, highlighting the continuing importance of source quality, brand consistency and human review.
Industrial applications brought these questions into focus. Franziskos Kyriakopoulos from KEBA demonstrated why engineering expertise and knowledge of operational processes are central to deploying AI in manufacturing. Valentin Czuczumanov from Kontron reinforced the importance of choosing the technology that fits the task, drawing on examples spanning machine learning, computer vision and generative AI.
The programme also examined how organisations can maintain control as adoption expands. Thomas Doms from TRUSTIFAI discussed independent testing and reassessment under real operating conditions. Daniel Eder from Akkodis explored sovereignty through control over data, infrastructure and provider dependencies. Carina Zehetmaier from PaiperOne addressed accountability, emphasising that human oversight must include the ability to understand, challenge and override consequential AI decisions.
Practical sessions showed how these principles translate into everyday work. Katrin Freihofner from Straion explained why coding agents need access to company rules and architectural context from the outset. Gerald Zankl from Kickscale demonstrated how customer conversations can inform follow-up, CRM updates and sales coaching. Ben James from Atlas explored generative 3D and virtual worlds, including the creative control and attribution questions that accompany them.
International cooperation was another central theme. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, presented the region’s approach to combining computing infrastructure, research, talent and capital, and outlined opportunities for collaboration with Austria. Enterprise Europe Network matchmaking and the exhibition areas gave participants opportunities to turn those conversations into potential partnerships.
Workshops and live demonstrations, including humanoid robotics, complemented the main-stage programme and offered participants a closer look at AI applications.
In the closing discussion, AI Austria founder and chairperson Clemens Wasner reflected on the shift towards widespread individual AI use. The next challenge is to embed that experience into core business processes, supported by appropriate governance, skills and measurable outcomes.
AI Austria thanks moderator Natalie Staniewicz, Patrik-René Felbauer, Michael Otter and the ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA team, Matthias Grabner and the AI Austria team, as well as all speakers, partners, exhibitors and participants who contributed to AAIC 2026.
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