That’s a wrap: over 8,000 attendees turn out for Dublin Tech Summit

It has been revealed that 8,200 people from over 15 nationalities turned out for this year’s Dublin Tech Summit, which took place from 31 May – 1 June at the RDS, Dublin. In addition to this, over the course of the two day event, it was estimated that over 200 speakers, 100 startups and even three robots took part, whilst over 26,000 cups of coffee were consumed.

Day 2 of Ireland’s largest tech conference saw global leaders from all branches of tech converge to discuss and identify opportunities and threats in the tech universe. Key attractions included Desdemona the AI-powered speaking robot, VR/AR displays, the networking lounge and the infamous tech spiegeltent, which hosted the Prism stage.

Across Dublin Tech Summit’s three main stages, crowds turned out for a series of panels on the future of healthcare, retail, social media, human resources, data protection, privacy, and more. Dublin Tech Summit showcased 150 start-ups throughout the event, on the specially designated Ignite Stage as well as on the conference floor, where countless introductions and networking opportunities unfolded over an estimated 20,000 cups of coffee!

The DTS by Night programme (which takes place this evening) will also see venues around Dublin and beyond host informal networking events on day two, including a special city-centre performance by the Jam Galaxy Band.

Some of the many highlights of Dublin Tech Summit Day 2 included:

• Jose Luis Cordeiro, Director, The Millennium Project – Futurist and author Jose Cordeiro hosted one of the most talked-about keynotes of the day, laying out his theories for the future of humanity, including how he believes that, within 20 years, healthcare and regenerative technology will have evolved to a point where “death is optional.”

• Adam Cheyer, Creator of Siri – The tech pioneer who led the development of Apple’s Siri assistant shared the stage with Ireland’s AI Ambassador, Patricia Scanlon, and Dr. Oisin Boydell of UCD’s Centre for Applied AI, to address the hotly-debated AI question, including the current limitations of the technology and what exactly is possible.

• Cecilia Tham, Co-founder, Futurity Systems – Futurist and developer Cecilia Tham’s keynote speech outlined “the interspecies economy”, including how Artificial Intelligence is enabling plant life to become self-sustaining. Herbie the Robot also starred alongside Cecilia on stage.

• Till Haunschild and the Magic of AI – In a captivating blend of tech talk and performance, veteran entrepreneur and magician Till Haunschild weaved together storytelling, psychology and misdirection to present a unique view of our new relationship with artificial intelligence, and what it – and we – are capable of.

• Fergal Reid: Machine Learning and how AI will revolutionise business – The conversation around AI has become so busy recently, it can be hard to cut through to the real learnings. Intercom’s Director of Machine Learning, Fergal Reid discussed what is possible – and what is likely – in the coming years as AI becomes a part of everyday life in workplaces worldwide.

Commenting on the success of the event, DTS Managing Director Tracey Carney said: “Dublin Tech Summit was a huge success this year, bolstered by the welcome addition of robots, AR/VR and various other tech displays. The diversity of topics, the tech giants that took part and the panels created a sense of community and urgency that has been growing since the conference was first founded seven years ago. The glorious weather only added to the atmosphere at the RDS.

“We were very proud to welcome so many great innovators to Ireland as we look to keep Ireland connected to the wider tech ecosystem. It is our mission to continue to grow Dublin Tech Summit so we can further solidify Ireland’s position as a welcoming European tech hub and a great place to carry out innovation.”

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