South West Data Social

⌖ Bristol · DeskLodge House

Hosted by Bristol Machine Learning Workshop

A biweekly data science, machine learning and AI peer-support meetup, taking place at DeskLodge House in Bristol on 28 October 2026. Hosted by CY Y. and Sam D. for the Bristol Machine Learning Workshop, this community-led session gives members a practical space to share knowledge, discuss learning resources and get help with projects or blockers. What to expect The planned format for this and the next few meetups includes: - Course spotlight and discussion: review one or two free courses or modules and compare key takeaways - Project roundtable: present a current project, idea or challenge and gather peer input - Tool demos: show tools relevant to data science, machine learning and AI - Paper club: read and discuss a recent paper or article - Mini hackathons: spend two hours building something small Contributors are being sought for each activity, so attendees are encouraged to bring projects, questions, talks or knowledge to share. No specific experience requirement is stated. Bring a laptop, and feel free to bring a friend. Time: Wednesday 28 October 2026, 18:30–20:30 GMT. The meetup runs every other Wednesday until 30 November 2028. Venue: Ground Floor, DeskLodge House, 2 Redcliffe Way, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6NL. Register for this event

⌖ Bristol · Torchbox

Hosted by Bristol AI Ethics

Explore the ethics of artificial intelligence through expert-led discussion, an AI news roundup and networking in Bristol on 29 October 2026. This monthly, in-person meetup from Bristol AI Ethics creates space for a candid look at the ethical,and sometimes distinctly unethical,use of AI. Taking place at Torchbox in Bristol, the evening combines a topical talk with group discussion, practical reflection and opportunities to meet others interested in responsible technology. What to expect The two-hour programme moves from informal networking into a structured exploration of current AI ethics issues: - 6:00pm , Arrival and networking: meet fellow attendees before the formal programme begins. - 6:30pm , Monthly News Roundup: review recent developments and stories shaping conversations about AI and its impact. - 6:50pm , Main Talk: the October speaker and subject are still to be confirmed. - 7:20pm , Q&A and discussion: question the ideas raised and contribute your own perspective. - 7:35pm , Grab a drink: take a short break and continue conversations informally. - 7:50pm , Positive Actions: finish by considering constructive responses to the issues discussed. The scheduled programme wraps up at 8:00pm. Attendees can remain for further discussion and networking until the group needs to vacate the building at 8:30pm. Who it’s for This meetup is relevant to anyone who wants to think more critically about how artificial intelligence is designed, deployed and discussed. It offers an accessible forum for technologists, researchers, product builders and other interested participants to exchange views on responsible AI. No specific experience level or technical prerequisite is listed; the emphasis is on talks, questions and open conversation rather than a hands-on technical workshop. Venue details The event runs from 6:00pm to 8:00pm GMT on Thursday 29 October 2026 at Torchbox, 3rd Floor, 15 Colston Street, Bristol. The venue entrance has a short ramp leading to the front door. Press the Torchbox buzzer for access, then use either the lift or stairs to reach the third floor. Attendees can also use the venue’s what3words location for directions.… Register for this event

⌖ Santiago · Hotel Mandarin

Hosted by Red Hat

Red Hat Summit: Connect Santiago 2026 explores how enterprises can adopt AI while retaining control of their data, infrastructure and technology strategy. Taking place on 27 October 2026 at Hotel Mandarin in Santiago, this Red Hat conference is designed for technology leaders and enterprise IT professionals working through the practical complexities of artificial intelligence adoption. It will be particularly relevant to teams operating at scale or within regulated industries, where governance, security and control cannot be treated as afterthoughts. What to expect The programme examines enterprise AI through an open-source lens, focusing on how organisations can pursue innovation without surrendering control of their underlying systems. The published themes include: - Data sovereignty and the enterprise AI challenge, considering the relationship between AI strategy, organisational data and infrastructure control. - Industry-specific applications, exploring AI in the context of real operational requirements rather than as a one-size-fits-all technology. - The open-source approach to enterprise AI, looking at how open technologies can support enterprise adoption and long-term flexibility. This is more than a high-level strategy conference. According to Red Hat, Summit: Connect offers access to technology experts alongside hands-on learning opportunities with Red Hat solutions. Attendees will also have options to meet Red Hat partners and exchange ideas with peers facing similar implementation questions. Who should attend? The event is aimed at technology decision-makers, enterprise architects, infrastructure and platform teams, cybersecurity professionals, and IT leaders responsible for introducing AI into complex organisations. It should also be useful for practitioners assessing how data sovereignty and industry constraints affect architecture choices. View the event and registration details

⌖ Ho Chi Minh City · Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel

Hosted by rockbird media

retailX Ho Chi Minh 2026 is an all-day conference on AI, omnichannel retail and digital commerce, taking place on 27 October in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam’s retail and e-commerce market is evolving rapidly as digital adoption, changing consumer behaviour and investment in modern retail technology reshape how brands attract and serve customers. Presented by rockbird media, retailX Ho Chi Minh 2026 will bring senior retail leaders, e-commerce professionals, brand executives and technology innovators together to examine the strategies driving this transformation. The in-person conference runs from 8:00am to 4:00pm on Tuesday 27 October 2026 at the Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel, 88 Đường Đồng Khởi, Ho Chi Minh City. What to expect Across keynote presentations, executive panels, interactive roundtables and real-world case studies, attendees will explore how retailers can use technology and customer insight to build sustainable growth. The programme focuses on: - AI-powered retail and emerging commerce technologies - Omnichannel and digital commerce strategies - Digital transformation within retail organisations - Customer engagement and experience innovation - Data-driven approaches to the changing consumer landscape - Emerging retail and consumer trends in Vietnam The emphasis is on practical insight rather than theory. Attendees can learn directly from leading Vietnamese retail and e-commerce executives, hear how organisations are responding to market change and examine examples drawn from real business activity. Business connections Networking is a central part of the eight-hour format. Alongside the conference sessions, retailX offers curated networking opportunities and one-to-one business meetings. These are designed to help attendees meet senior retail and technology decision-makers, connect with relevant solution providers and discuss potential commercial partnerships in a focused setting. View the event and registration details

⌖ Cambridge · The Glasshouse @InnovateCambridge

Hosted by Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery

Explore how the Financial Times turns data and AI strategy into organisational value with Chief Data Officer Kate Sargent at this University of Cambridge seminar. From research to real-world AI Taking place in person on Tuesday 27 October 2026, from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, this Beyond Academia seminar offers a practical perspective on deploying data science and artificial intelligence beyond the university environment. The session will be held at The Glasshouse @InnovateCambridge, 100 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1LQ. The Beyond Academia: AI & Data Science Applications series is designed to bridge the gap between high-level research and implementation inside organisations. Invited leaders and professionals examine the technical, architectural and operational realities of AI innovation while introducing attendees to career opportunities outside academia. Hear from Kate Sargent Kate Sargent, Chief Data Officer at the Financial Times, is responsible for the organisation’s Data and AI Strategy and for creating value from its data assets. Since joining the FT in 2023, she has led its award-winning Data & AI Governance, Data Science & AI, Analytics, Research and Business Intelligence disciplines. Kate brings 30 years of experience across major consumer-facing organisations in retail, travel and media. Her work focuses on using data to understand and influence customer behaviour and generate commercial value. Alongside her executive role, she is an industry commentator, board adviser and mentor, with a particular commitment to early-years skills development and increasing awareness of careers in data and analytics. Attendees can expect insight into: - How data and AI strategy operates within a global media organisation - The challenges and opportunities involved in implementing AI innovation - The role of governance, analytics, research and business intelligence - Translating data assets into practical and commercial value - Non-academic career pathways in data science and AI The format is an engaging one-hour talk with plenty of opportunity for audience Q&A, giving researchers and students direct access to an experienced data leader. Who should attend?… Register for this event

Sponsors: Bennett School of Public Policy · C2D3

⌖ San Francisco · Silicon Valley AI Hub

Hosted by Voxel51

Build an end-to-end physical AI workflow in Menlo Park on 27 October 2026, using real robotics data, FiftyOne and a live fine-tuned YOLO11n detector. Co-presented by Voxel51 and Nebius, this three-hour, in-person meetup combines expert lightning talks, informal networking and a technical workshop at Silicon Valley AI Hub. The focus is practical: turning raw robot logs into curated training data, producing labels, training a computer vision model and reviewing its predictions in the original multimodal recording. What you’ll do The workshop uses DROID, a real-world robotics dataset loaded into FiftyOne as a native multimodal MCAP recording. Attendees will work with synchronised camera feeds, proprioception and language data on one timeline, with no ROS installation required. During the session, you’ll: - Explore a DROID robotics recording in FiftyOne’s multimodal MCAP viewer - Extract and browse frames, then filter and deduplicate the dataset - Compute embeddings and investigate the curated frames through similarity search and embeddings visualisation - Use open-vocabulary detection to auto-label the robot gripper and target objects - Fine-tune a YOLO11n detector on the generated bounding boxes - Evaluate the resulting model and view its predictions on the original MCAP timeline Embeddings and model training will run through Nebius Serverless AI Jobs. The evening closes with a walkthrough of Nebius Token Factory, including chat and vision models, fine-tuning and credits. You can also explore the FiftyOne documentation before attending. Evening format - 5:30–6:30 PM: Networking, food, drinks and lightning talks from local practitioners working across AI, machine learning and computer vision - 6:30–7:30 PM: From raw robot logs to a curated dataset, including multimodal exploration, frame extraction, deduplication and embeddings - 7:30–8:00 PM: Auto-labelling, live YOLO11n fine-tuning and model evaluation - 8:00–8:30 PM: Nebius Token Factory walkthrough This is a technical, hands-on event for people interested in robotics datasets, computer vision, machine learning and physical AI. It offers an opportunity to follow a complete model-development loop while meeting others working in the Silicon Valley AI community. Before you attend… Register for this event

Sponsors: Nebius