Embrace:AI

Join us for a focused evening featuring two talks around reasoning LLM models and multimodal architecture for generative AI, part of the Lisbon AI Week (lisbonaiweek.com)! After the talks, we will have a nice networking time with free drinks, and pizza, connecting with Lisbon’s AI community.

Agenda:

• 18h: Welcome and networking
• 18h30: Talk 1: LLMs That Think: Demystifying Reasoning Models by Sara Zanzottera
• 19h: Talk 2: When LLMs Start to See: Inside the Multimodal Architecture by Elmira Hajimani
• 19h30-21h: Networking with free drinks & snacks (Sponsored by Unit4)

Join and help build the AI community in Lisbon!
RSVP now and invite your peers.

The lineup and speakers for the evening

Talk 1: LLMs That Think: Demystifying Reasoning Models
Abstract: The ability to perform complex reasoning is one of the basic requirements for truly intelligent AI models. A new generation of LLMs, such as the GPT-5 family of models from OpenAI or DeepSeek’s new entries, defied many experts’ expectations by smashing reasoning benchmarks designed with AGI in mind. However, these new models are still traditional LLMs at their core. What makes these models so different? How do they “reason”? What are the best use cases for them, and when is better to use a regular, non-thinking LLM such as GPT 4o or Llama? In this talk we will look beyond the hype, get an intuitive understanding of the way they work, and understand the pros and cons of this new crop of models.

Bio: Sara Zanzottera is a Senior Developer at BNP Paribas. She worked on several GenAI projects such as autonomous voice agents, RAG applications, and many more. She was a core maintainer of Haystack, one of the most mature open-source LLM frameworks. She started her career at CERN as a Python software engineer on the particle accelerator’s control systems.

Talk 2: When LLMs Start to See: Inside the Multimodal Architecture
Abstract: AI has been able to see for years, but now it can see and talk about what it sees. This talk explores how multimodal large language models bring together vision and language within a shared architecture, enabling systems that can understand, describe, and interact with the world in richer, more human-like ways. We’ll look at what makes these architectures possible, why they matter, and how they’re shaping the next generation of intelligent applications.

Bio: Elmira is a Senior AI Engineer with over twenty years of experience working in academia, startups, and corporate settings. She’s worked across research, engineering, and applied AI, contributing to projects in healthcare, finance, legal, and energy sectors. Elmira holds a PhD in Informatics Engineering with a focus on Artificial Intelligence.

About our Sponsor
Big shoutout and thank you to our sponsor, Unit4, for providing the venue, drinks, and snacks!
Unit4 is a global provider of enterprise software designed for people-centric organizations. Its next-generation cloud solutions help businesses automate administrative tasks and deliver actionable insights. With a strong focus on adaptability and AI-driven innovation, Unit4 empowers sectors like professional services, public sector, nonprofits, and higher education to work smarter and focus on what truly matters.
www.unit4.com

About Embrace:AI
Join Embrace:AI, be part of an open meetup fostering a vibrant AI community that brings together engineers, researchers, data scientists, and leaders to explore cutting-edge advancements, real-world use cases, and critical topics like Responsible AI, security, and governance.
You'll have access to high-quality, non-commercial content that covers both the technical and non-technical aspects of AI. Concise, impactful presentations ensure you gain valuable insights while still having plenty of time for in-person networking.

Experience the power of face-to-face connection—meet like-minded professionals and shape the future of this transformative technology. Together, we'll embrace the limitless potential of AI. We are looking forward to seeing you at the event!

Join and help build the AI community in Lisbon!
RSVP now and invite your peers.