The buzziness around AI and ML has prompted a FOMO-fueled mad dash for companies to quickly integrate these technologies into their products. But if you dive into the details, those on the ground floor of this new wave are wrestling with tactical challenges of everyday building, from cleaning and labeling datasets to fine-tuning models and monitoring them in production — all while racing to stay on top of the breakneck pace of new developments that seem to be advancing by the day, if not the hour.
From long-standing partnerships with companies like Labelbox and Verkada, to backing newer startups like Rewind and Together, to seeing how companies like Notion and Superhuman are integrating this technology into their products, we’ve long been inspired by how founders in the First Round community are innovating in this space and tackling these challenges.
Now, we’re expanding access to some of their critical lessons in our first-ever AI and ML Unconference.
In the past few years, we’ve experimented with a unique set of experiences called Unconferences, where we’ve brought together an intimate, curated group for peer-to-peer sessions on specific topics. This format empowers attendees to both share and learn by feeding off of each other in dynamic breakout discussions that are focused on extremely tactical content. This allows for multi-dimensional conversations among people with different perspectives, rather than an audience of many receiving one point of view from a stage.
We’re excited to bring the Unconference formula to AI and ML. By providing a forum for folks to swap tactics and share learnings, we hope to build the strongest community of technical startup leaders. Our aim is to provide a space for technically-minded individuals (think: product, eng, and design) to come together to discuss how they are implementing AI and keeping up with the rapid developments in the industry.
The First Round AI Unconference is on Monday, August 28, from 5-8 pm in San Francisco. If this sounds like a conversation you need to be a part of, apply here to grab your spot.
So what can you expect as an attendee? Your time will be spent in small breakout discussions, focused on the most burning questions for AI and ML leaders right now. You’ll also get a chance to engage with some of the best and brightest early-stage companies in this space. With this unique exposure to founders currently building on the frontiers of AI/ML, you’ll be able to learn about their strategies and potential opportunities to work at companies like Together, Wai’i, and Fadeaway.
As with our previous Unconferences, we’re tailoring the content so we cover exactly what’s top-of-mind by crowdsourcing topics from AI & ML leaders across the org chart in sessions like:
- Selecting between Foundation Model providers
- Building a moat and other defenses for generative AI applications
- Open-source vs closed-source models and devtools
- Domains and industries being unlocked by AI applications
- AI agents and artificial general intelligence
We are now accepting applications! If you are a leader or operator in the AI or ML space, apply by Friday, August 25 to join us in person on Monday, August 28 from 5-8pm PT.
