The second annual DenAI Summit took place on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and it may have been even better than the 2024 edition.
It was definitely different, having moved from the Colorado Convention Center to the Denver Art Museum, and slimming down to an estimated half the number of attendees. That certainly surprised many of us, as we were initially expecting that this year's model might be even bigger and grander than the first, which was a sold-out blockbuster.
But in the minds of many, winnowing down the numbers wasn't a bad decision. It made for a tighter production all around, with less of a stadium feel and more of being invited to something of a semi-private salon. As Jon Ewing of the Denver Mayor's Office indicated to me, "We were looking to create a more intimate environment with this year’s event, and we think it turned out great." Indeed, it was a great event.
Additionally – and perhaps befitting one year after the inaugural Summit and nearly three years since ChatGPT launched – many of the presentations felt less pie-in-the-sky and more boots-on-the-ground. What's working, what's not, what are some of the real-world concerns about AI right now, along with – of course – a healthy dose of the vast potential of AI that's still out there.
There was also more networking time provided, which was a welcome change for many attendees I spoke to. (As much as I love taking copious notes and learning from those much wiser than I, it's also necessary to get out of one's seat, walk around, and meet some new people on a regular basis.)
Speaking of meeting new people, our AI Pic of the Week highlights the serendipity of conferences: As tends to happen frequently, once the presentations are over, dinner and drinks can bring together semi-random groups of people. A few colleagues are joined by a few new friends, and that's how true and lasting relationships can be formed.
Which is why I've always thought that while we go to these conferences for the wisdom that's dispensed from the stage, it's often the conversations on the side that can be just as transforming.
The six of us in the photo above include yours truly (yes, the humble publisher of Colorado AI News); Dan Murray, the founder of the Rocky Mountain AI Interest Group (RMAIIG); Susan Adams, the founder of RMAIIG's Women in AI Colorado; Khai Nguyen, Ph.D., a climate resilience senior specialist with the City and County of Denver; and Vincent Allen and Rob Taylor, two Carstens Allen Gourley attorneys focused on AI and IP law, who are based in Dallas and have an office in Golden, Colorado. The conversations were real, and the connections made were just as genuine.
Colorado AI News will have more coverage of the DenAI Summit in the days ahead, but for the record, this is exactly what a good conference looks like!
