As AI accelerates, so too does the hype. But are we truly edging closer to Artificial General Intelligence – or are we hurtling down a path that demands a serious course correction?
Join us for a lively and thought-provoking panel exploring where AI is really heading. We’ll unpack the bold claims around AGI, question the assumptions driving current investment and research, and ask whether the AI community is prioritising speed over safety, depth over direction.
Expect insight, disagreement, and maybe even a few uncomfortable truths – from experts at the cutting edge of AI research, ethics, and innovation. Whether you’re an optimist, sceptic, or somewhere in between, this is the conversation you don’t want to miss.
The format:
Expert Panel – No fluff. Just powerful, practical, future-forward insight
Live Q&A – Ask the questions everyone else is afraid to
Networking – Meet other brilliant humans building the future
Schedule:
6:00 PM – Doors Open and Networking
6:30 PM – Expert Panel with Q&A
8:00 PM – Close.
Meet the panel:
Vittorio Zoldan works in the Amazon’s Artificial General Intelligence organisation, which provides foundational models and information products to enhance the customer experiences of all Amazon customers.
Bhavul Gauri is a Research Engineer at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, building multi-agent systems that help LLMs self-improve and carry out long running ML workflows. Previously he led LLM fine-tuning and prompting for ad-image generation, and earlier shipped video-understanding and ranking improvements at Reels scale. With about a decade in the ML industry, he enjoys sharing practical lessons on stage, advocates for open source, and loves to contribute to community projects and research. In his free time, he loves to travel (20+ countries covered), play table tennis, and enjoy stand-up comedy.
Chiara Picardi is a seasoned AI researcher with expertise in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and safe AI. She holds a PhD in Electronics Engineering from the University of York, where her research focused on applying evolutionary algorithms to medical diagnosis. Currently a Senior Researcher at Fujitsu Research of Europe, she develops prototypes to address security vulnerabilities in multi-agent systems powered by large language models. With previous experience as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy, Chiara has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects across healthcare, space, and autonomous systems, securing significant research funding and mentoring early-career researchers. Fluent in English and a native Italian speaker, she combines strong academic foundations with hands-on industry impact in advancing trustworthy and cutting-edge AI.
Olga Pirog is a recognised leader in enterprise Data and AI transformation with 18+ years’ experience. As former Global Head of AI & Data Transformation at IG Group (FTSE 200 fintech), she led the ‘RenAIssance’ initiative achieving 45% operational efficiency improvements and delivered significant efficiency savings plus substantial new revenue through over 100 GenAI solutions.
Former member of Anthropic’s Customer Advisory Board, she co-leads groundbreaking research with Harvard and Stanford Business Schools examining GenAI’s enterprise impact. This study, conducted across three occupational groups, demonstrates horizontal expertise transfer between roles, with preliminary results showing 70% productivity improvements. The research identifies the “GenAI Wall Effect”—pinpointing where AI can bridge expertise gaps versus where deep domain knowledge remains indispensable—soon to be published in leading business and scientific journals.
Her strategic partnerships with Google, Anthropic, Eleven Labs and others, and collaboration with the British Cabinet Office on AI adoption policies position her as a trusted adviser to C-suites and boards. A Harvard Business School alumna with technical expertise across GenAI platforms, Olga’s policy framework has been recognised as best-in-class, making her a sought-after expert navigating the AI revolution across diverse markets and regulatory environments.
Meet the host:
Magda Woods is the co-founder and CEO of Flare Data, an AI startup. As a serial entrepreneur, her first tech venture, Waive, was acquired by Future plc in 2022. Previously, she served as the MD for Data at Global Data Media and has a track record of managing multi-million dollar investments in AI technologies. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving digital transformation in large-scale newsrooms within both public and private sectors, including the BBC, The Telegraph, Channel 4, and New Statesman. In addition to her corporate achievements, Magda has served in advisory roles for the government’s AI strategy, and has consulted for the Digital Government Service in the UK. Magda is an engineer and computer scientist by trade and has an executive MBA from the Bayes Business School.