AI Explained: The Beginner’s Guide to Tools, Models and Myths

⌖ Brighton

Hosted by AI in Media Institute

FLIRT 2026 brings a practical blueprint for responsible, AI-native organisations to Brighton on 2–3 November, spanning media, marketing and operations. Taking over West Street and satellite venues across Brighton, this two-day, in-person festival-conference examines how organisations can implement AI in the real world,not simply discuss its potential. The programme explores how to operationalise AI across teams, prepare people for changing roles and workflows, and build systems that can last. Organised by the AI in Media Institute, FLIRT expands on the sold-out 2025 AIMI Conference, which brought together 600 attendees and 40 speakers across two stages. Its 2026 edition widens the focus beyond creative AI to cover the complete structure of an AI-native organisation: culture, creativity, infrastructure, governance, talent and execution. What to expect FLIRT combines conference content with practical exploration and city-wide experiences: - The Main Stage hosts keynotes, major ideas and perspectives intended to shape the industry agenda. - The Future Stage tackles the workforce conversation, including what is changing, what is breaking and how organisations are responding. - The Startup Village presents early-stage AI companies through live pitches, investor access and direct industry exposure. - Specialist satellite zones feature live demonstrations of frontier technology, including robotics and real-time generative AI. - Hands-on workshops, immersive experiences and debates create space to test ideas rather than passively consume them. - Flirt After-hours extends the programme into Brighton and makes networking and conversation part of the wider festival experience. Who should attend? The event is designed for anyone whose work is being reshaped by AI. That includes founders, CEOs, CMOs, brand and agency leaders, creative directors, producers, publishers, journalists, broadcasters, musicians, artists, content creators and game developers. Product leaders, engineers, XR builders, startup founders and CTOs will be represented alongside operations, finance, legal, IP, risk, governance, HR, People and L&D professionals.… Register for this event

⌖ Brighton · Brighton Dome

UX Brighton 2026 is a one-day conference on emerging UX methods, taking place at Brighton Dome in Brighton on Friday 6 November 2026. The fundamentals remain familiar,understand what people need, design solutions, test them and build them,but the methods available to UX teams are rapidly multiplying. This conference is designed to help attendees separate genuinely useful developments from noise, understand which techniques translate effectively into UX practice and identify established approaches that new technology has finally made practical. What to expect The programme brings together practitioners working at the edges of UX research, design and product development. Rather than focusing on novelty for its own sake, the day will explore what is actually working across new research techniques, design tools, testing methods and ways of working. Confirmed speakers include: - Vivek Gopinath, Lead User Researcher at IBM, whose mixed-method practice spans qualitative and quantitative research, machine learning, heuristic analysis, eye tracking, behavioural studies, cognitive psychology and predictive UX. His work examines how AI-driven personalisation can anticipate user needs while maintaining a deep, empathetic understanding of behaviour. - Prama Ayalasomayajula, a research leader at HubSpot with experience in service design, small-business products, Zalando sellers and Meta Shops. Her work investigates why discovery breaks down, how scalable UX processes hold together and what service blueprints can reveal beyond standalone insights. - Chiara Scarabotti, UX Lead at Springer Nature, specialising in complex publishing flows and multi-persona journeys. She focuses on problem framing, information architecture and turning messy systems into transparent, actionable practices for cross-disciplinary teams. - Kathy Neuss, Head of Research at Mercator Digital, with more than 25 years of experience across government, corporate and agency settings. She combines qualitative depth with quantitative rigour and has influenced major HMRC services through research, behavioural groupings, mental models and journey mapping. - Max Borodin, Senior Product Manager at Simple, who explores behavioural design, gamification, conversational coaching and AI in products intended to support long-term behaviour change. He also experiments with using AI to accelerate… Register for this event

⌖ Brighton · The Walrus Pub

Hosted by Brighton CTO

Brighton CTO’s November Meetup brings technology leaders together at The Walrus Pub in Brighton on 18 November 2026 to discuss running a tech function. This in-person evening offers a useful forum for people responsible for technology teams and strategy to compare experiences, raise current challenges and learn how peers approach the realities of technology leadership. Organised by Brighton CTO and hosted by Martyn F., the meetup runs from 6:30pm to 9:30pm GMT. What to expect The central theme is deliberately practical: the common challenges involved in running a technology function. Rather than focusing on a particular product, framework or technical discipline, the event creates space for an open conversation about technology leadership. Attendees can bring the issues they are currently navigating, hear perspectives from others in comparable roles and contribute lessons from their own organisations. The meetup format is suited to peer discussion and professional connection. There is no published line-up of formal speakers or fixed session topics, so expect the conversation to be shaped by the technology leaders in the room. That makes this especially relevant if you value candid, experience-led discussion over a presentation-heavy programme. You may find the evening useful if you are: - A CTO or senior technology leader responsible for a technology function - Working in engineering leadership and looking to exchange practical experience - Moving towards a senior leadership role and seeking insight into its challenges - Interested in meeting other members of the local technology community Venue and timings The meetup takes place on Wednesday 18 November 2026, from 6:30pm until 9:30pm GMT, at The Walrus Pub, 10 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AD. The pub setting supports an informal, conversational evening where participants can discuss leadership challenges face to face. With three hours scheduled, there should be time to explore different viewpoints and build useful connections with peers who understand the demands of leading technology. If you run, lead or help shape a technology function and want a grounded conversation with others facing similar responsibilities, this Brighton CTO meetup provides a focused local setting for that exchange.… Register for this event

⌖ Brighton · The Walrus

Hosted by BRIGHTHINK

Explore the history of brain-machine technology with author Mike Jay at The Walrus in Brighton on 19 November 2026. From speculative fiction to Neuralink As humanity and technology become increasingly interwoven, WIREHEADS: An Unnatural History of Technology in the Brain examines the most intimate frontier of all: attempts to connect machines directly with the human mind. Acclaimed Psychonauts author Mike Jay will trace the tangled history of the electronic devices, magnetic signals, implants and computer interfaces designed, or imagined, to enhance, control and rewire the brain. His account brings together mavericks and scientists, crackpots and artistic visionaries, showing how ideas once confined to speculative fiction have informed real experiments and contemporary technology. The talk will move across subjects including: - The brain technologies imagined by H. G. Wells and Philip K. Dick - Simulated realities represented in The Matrix - The CIA’s Cold War experiments and covert military operations - Psychedelic art, moral philosophy and cybernetic theory - Elon Musk’s Neuralink and the pursuit of neural enhancement - Questions of artificial bliss, behavioural control and connection to higher intelligence At its heart, the evening asks whether brain-machine interfaces might eventually direct our thoughts and behaviour, or whether technology is already doing so. It will also consider what these efforts to understand and modify the brain reveal about being human in a potentially post-human age. Talk format and audience Q&A Presented by BRIGHTHINK as part of its In Conversation series, this is a 90-minute, in-person event combining a live talk with an audience Q&A. It should appeal to anyone interested in AI, neuroscience, cybernetics, technology history, speculative fiction, psychedelia, philosophy or the social consequences of human-machine integration. Doors open at 7pm, the event begins at 7:30pm, and the audience Q&A is scheduled for 8:30pm. The venue is The Walrus, 10 Ship Street, Brighton and Hove, BN1 1AD. Attendees under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Refunds are available up to five days before the event. Get tickets for WIREHEADS

⌖ San Francisco · Hyatt Regency Burlingame

Hosted by Open Data Science Conference (ODSC)

Learn to build production-ready AI systems in just seven weeks with the AI Engineering Accelerator bootcamp, a hands-on training program that bridges the gap between using AI and building it. Running from June 9 through October 29, 2026, this intensive program combines virtual instruction with a multi-day in-person capstone at the Hyatt Regency Burlingame during ODSC AI West 2026. Designed for professionals ready to move beyond tutorials, the Accelerator provides comprehensive training in the core disciplines of modern AI engineering: large language models (LLMs), agentic AI systems, and production deployment. You'll gain practical experience with the latest tools and frameworks used by leading AI teams, learning not just how to use AI, but how to architect, build, and ship AI-powered applications. Program Structure The bootcamp follows a hybrid learning model that maximizes flexibility while ensuring hands-on engagement. Starting with the Summer Cohort on June 9, you'll participate in virtual training sessions led by experienced AI practitioners. The program culminates in an intensive in-person segment from October 27-29, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, California, integrated with the main ODSC AI West conference. This dual-format approach allows you to build foundational knowledge remotely while maintaining your current work commitments, then apply those skills in collaborative, hands-on projects during the in-person sessions. You'll also gain full access to ODSC AI West's conference tracks, expo, and networking events. What You'll Learn The curriculum focuses on production-grade AI engineering, covering: - LLM development and deployment — Fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and optimization techniques - Agentic AI systems — Building autonomous agents and workflow automation - AI Engineering fundamentals — MLOps, model serving, monitoring, and scaling - Real-world implementation — Moving from prototype to production with confidence Organized by Open Data Science Conference, which has spent 11 years training thousands of AI engineers and data scientists, the Accelerator draws on ODSC's deep expertise in practical AI education. The program features specialization tracks tailored to different AI engineering domains, allowing you to focus on the areas most relevant to your career goals. Who Should Attend This bootcamp is designed for professionals who already work with AI tools and are rea

⌖ Sheffield · The Edge, University of Sheffield, 34 Endcliffe Crescent, Sheffield, S10 3ED

Hosted by APRIL

The APRIL AI Hub Annual Summit 2026 brings together researchers, practitioners, and innovators at the forefront of artificial intelligence and machine learning for a full day of knowledge sharing and collaboration in Sheffield. Taking place at The Edge at the University of Sheffield, this conference serves as the flagship annual gathering for the APRIL (AI for Precision Medicine and Healthcare, Privacy, Reproducibility, Interpretability, and Learning) community. As the second annual summit following the inaugural event in Edinburgh, this conference continues APRIL AI Hub's mission to advance responsible AI research and practice across healthcare, precision medicine, and beyond. The summit provides a vital platform for cross-sector dialogue between academic researchers, industry partners, healthcare professionals, and policy makers working at the intersection of AI, ethics, and real-world applications. What to Expect While the detailed programme is still being finalised, attendees can expect a comprehensive agenda featuring: - Keynote presentations from leading figures in AI research and healthcare innovation - Research showcases highlighting cutting-edge work in precision medicine, privacy-preserving AI, reproducible research methodologies, and interpretable machine learning - Panel discussions exploring the ethical, regulatory, and practical challenges of deploying AI systems in sensitive domains - Networking opportunities to connect with peers across academia, industry, and healthcare sectors - Poster sessions and demonstrations of ongoing research projects Who Should Attend This summit is designed for: - AI and machine learning researchers working on healthcare applications - Data scientists and engineers building trustworthy AI systems - Healthcare professionals interested in AI-driven precision medicine - Policy makers and ethicists concerned with responsible AI deployment - PhD students and early-career researchers in AI and related fields - Industry partners exploring AI applications in regulated environments About APRIL AI Hub The APRIL AI Hub represents a collaborative initiative advancing responsible AI research with particular emphasis on healthcare applications, data privacy, reproducible science, interpretable models, and robust learning systems. Previous APRIL events have established a strong reputation for bringing together diverse perspectives on the challe