moderated by Ekaterina Matveeva, Frenk Dragar
Information and communication technologies, robotics, space engineering and advanced manufacturing are the domains where AI is most visibly reshaping what human beings can build, reach and control, and the central question is not simply how AI can make our systems faster, more autonomous or more productive.
The deeper question is: what kind of machines, infrastructures and futures do we now want our engineering to bring into the world?
This mini-conference invites us to look beyond capabilities and breakthroughs, and to explore AI as a challenge to the very purpose of engineering: the design of systems that extend human reach without eroding human agency, that are safe, trustworthy and comprehensible, and that serve life on Earth even as they carry us beyond it, from the factory floor and the robot’s grasp to the edge of space.
AI & ICT Challenged creates a space for thoughtful, courageous dialogue, where engineers, researchers, industry leaders and thinkers can engage critically and imaginatively with what it means to keep technology deeply human, and deeply responsible, in an age of artificial intelligence.
Speakers:
Frenk Dragar: founder and CEO of Trivial Group, an AI development company in Ljubljana, Slovenia, building production AI systems for education, manufacturing and construction. He is a founding member of SLOAI, the largest Slovenian AI engineering community, and holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University.
Ekaterina Matveeva: a linguist, educator, researcher, learning designer and award-winning entrepreneur. She is a TEDx speaker and author of the theory “Language Alter Ego”. She has published several books on language learning and intercultural communication.
Cesar Andre Vidal Scasso: César Vidal is an Argentine entrepreneur, innovation strategist, international speaker, and technology columnist focused on Artificial Intelligence, robotics, emerging technologies, and the future of work. He is President of ADEEMA and Director of Innovation at ECOPOLYS Foundation, and has founded and led technology and gaming ventures across Latin America and Europe.
Isioma Utomi: Isioma serves on the boards of #StartupSouth and the Centre for Values in Leadership, is an Entrepreneur Circle Leader in Ellevate Network, and spearheads Women Who Launch at Lagos Startup Week, amplifying female voices in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
Manoj Joshi: Manoj Joshi is an AI and technology executive, entrepreneur, author and adviser with more than two decades of experience spanning artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley startups, enterprise technology, financial services, data platforms and cybersecurity.
Raj Sark: Raj Sark is a UK-based engineer, inventor and technology advisor with over 15 years’ experience across ICT, embedded hardware and software, Bluetooth and proximity technologies. He is the founder of Connect‑In UK, a IoT company behind innovations in Smart Connected Things domain and Smart-Tag solutions, where they develop and licenses wireless technology to global manufacturers/ OEMs.
