Few industries are as fast-evolving as the world of data science - it’s why it made sense for us to pair ‘data’ and ‘innovation’ as the two main themes of our conference. However, there have been few moments in recent history where the industry has caused the level of buzz that we are experiencing right now. The rise of generative AI has opened our eyes to a whole new world of possibilities for data, with tools like Chat GPT making what was once the tool of data scientists accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
The exciting new developments in data science and innovation were a prominent topic of discussion throughout the Data Innovation Showcase. Here are just a few examples:
- Bill Thompson expressed in his keynote talk that he believes Large Language Models might just be the biggest breakthrough of the last 4000 years
- Mo Chowdhury revealed how Sunderland City Council’s ‘Smart City’ project includes plans for autonomous vehicles and a city-wide app
- Rojin Yaramahdi explained how Polybox Solutions analyses expenses using Machine Learning and AI
- Birju Bartoli’s keynote talk provided an insight into how the NHS uses data to predict when hospital admissions will spike and how many beds will be needed to accommodate this
We also learned that trends should be approached with caution. The Beyond the Hype panel was particularly effective in communicating this, during which Scott Logic’s Colin Eberhardt and James Heward joined up with our Data Scientist, Louise Braithwaite MSc, and Edge Solution Specialist, Dr Peter Michalák to debate questions such as ‘Are no-code solutions the future?’ and ‘Will edge computing challenge the public cloud monopoly’, with each panelist deciding whether each trend shows real potential or is nothing more than hype. The issue with trust when it comes to AI also proved to be a popular topic, with Adam Byfield delivering a presentation about AI assurance and Will Wood speaking about the uncertainty of Large Language Models.
During the conference, we caught up with some of our speakers and audience members to find out what they are most excited about in the world of data science at the moment:
If you’d like to leverage some of these emerging technologies but aren’t sure where to begin or what would work for your business, we can help - simply fill out our contact form to enquire about collaborating with us.
Interested in learning more about generative AI? Watch the keynote talk that our Data Scientist, Dr Mac Misiura, delivered at our Perspectives on Generative AI event.
Register your interest
Planning for our 2024 Data Innovation Showcase is well underway, and it's shaping up to be our most exciting and innovative event yet! Register your interest and be the first to find out about our exciting lineup of speakers, masterclasses and workshops. If you're interested in innovation and data science, this is the ultimate event that's not to be missed!
In the meantime, you can check out the jam-packed programme full of speakers, masterclasses and workshops from 2023's Data Innovation Showcase here for a sneak preview of what to expect on 25 and 26 September 2024.
