Build Your Own AI: An Owner’s Manual
Details
Register: https://lu.ma/ueezj9ib
Today’s AI tools have opened up the possibility for anyone—even with minimal technical skills—to create AI applications. This event is all about showing you how!
Why Attend?
AI isn’t just for the experts anymore. It’s accessible to everyone. We break down the AI ecosystem into three key groups:
Practitioners: The creators and testers of AI technology.
Players: The ones who commercialize and monetize it.
The Public: Everyone who lives with the consequences—whether they’re good, bad, or just plain strange.
The public is by far the largest and most diverse group, yet it’s often left out of the AI conversation. While practitioners and players call for public engagement, what does that really look like? That’s where we come in! Our goal is to make AI discussions more inclusive, accessible, and engaging—especially when tackling the ethical dilemmas at the crossroads of technology, society, and morality.
Best of all, it’s FREE! Whether you’re an AI enthusiast, a hackathon wizard, or someone who just loves coffee and bagels, you’ll fit right in!
Note: All times are approximate. We’ll do our best to stick to the schedule, but let’s be honest—time is more of a guideline than a rule. We’ll go with the flow!
Event Agenda
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Check-in & Networking
Kick off the morning by grabbing some coffee and a bagel while mingling with fellow participants.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Start the event with a warm welcome and an overview of what’s in store.
Speaker: Dr. Sia Zadeh, Data Scientist & Associate professor, GGU
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | What Is AI? Fact, Fiction, and the Path to AGI
Explore the current state of AI, debunk common myths, and discuss the journey toward artificial general intelligence—with an interactive AI Myths Quiz!
Speaker: Sako, Gladly & Large People Model
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | The Intersection of Hardware and AI: Why It’s Crucial for Innovation
Dive into how hardware advancements drive AI development and innovation. Bonus: explore the "what if" scenarios if AI ever "goes rogue."
Speakers: Walt Maclay & Miguel Adao, Voler Systems
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Ideation & Startup Creation in the Age of AI
Learn how to generate AI-powered startup ideas and overcome the challenges of launching in today’s evolving landscape. We’ll also explore how AI is reshaping creativity and intellectual property—should AI be considered an author?
Speaker: A.J. Cave, LevelUP
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Innovation & Impact in AI
Hear from leaders who are using AI to make waves across various industries.
Speaker: Dr. Cory Kidd, Formerly Founder & CEO, Catalia Health
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break
Refuel and chat with your fellow new friends—don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of pizza!
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Afternoon Mini Hackathon Session
We know—this is a packed agenda! We might not hit every single note, but our goal is to demystify AI and give you a solid framework for understanding and navigating the challenges and opportunities AI presents. Plus, you’ll get to dive into hands-on learning through our hackathon experience!
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM | All About Hackathons
Get the lowdown on how hackathons work and learn insider tips for success.
Led by: Mostly Sako & LPMers
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM | Navigating AI Tools and Platforms
Discover the best AI tools and platforms for your project, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro.
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Mini Hackathon Challenges Introduction
Pick a challenge and get ready to bring your ideas to life! Choose from:
Challenge 1: Ethical and practical implications of AI-driven job displacement
In this challenge, we adapt the ethical trolley dilemma to address the impact of AI on jobs.
Challenge 2: AI Regulation and Ethics (SB-1047)
The challenge is inspired by the opportunities and weaknesses identified in the SWOT analysis of SB-1047
Bonus Challenge: Shall we play a game?
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM | Team Formation—Meet & Match
Get to know like-minded participants and form teams to tackle your chosen challenge.
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM | Find a Mentor
Connect with experienced mentors who can offer guidance and insights as you build your project.
2:45 PM – 4:15 PM | Build & Prototype
Time to get hands-on! Work on developing your demo, prototype, and pitch deck.
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Mentor Feedback
Get last-minute feedback from mentors to refine and polish your project.
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Finalizing the Pitch
Prepare your final presentation and get your pitch ready for the big reveal.
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Pitching Session
Present your solutions and let your peers vote for their favorites!
Judging Criteria:
Innovation (20%) – Is the idea creative and original?
Impact (20%) – What’s the potential positive change?
Use of AI (20%) – How effectively is AI integrated?
Feasibility (20%) – Is the solution technically and economically viable?
Pitch Quality (20%) – How well is the idea communicated?
5:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Networking & Wrap-Up
Wrap up the day by connecting with new friends, sharing insights, and discussing what’s next in the world of AI.
Agenda
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Speaker
Sako Mammadov
Hosted By
Edward Choudhry, GDG Organizer
Ishai Hachlili, Organizer
Jose Ruiz, Organizer
Trish Whetzel, Data Scientist
Sako M, Platform engineer
Sako M is a seasoned professional with 10+ years of experience in the field of technology. He has worked with more than ten companies in six countries, and he holds three master's degrees in different countries. He is currently based in San Francisco, California, and he is focused on AI, DevOps, Security, Open Source and building SaaS products.
Sako's passion for technology is evident in his work, and he is dedicated to using his skills and knowledge to generate value for all creatures in the world. He believes that as long as we give more than we take, the best is yet to come.
Sako has founded two open source projects called JobHax and GOUP. Currently he works at company called Gladly, where he is a Sr. Software Engineer. Before his current role at Gladly, he worked as a DevOps | Infrastructure Security Lead at OpenGov Inc., where he managed highly available software as a service and built infrastructure for continuous integration, automated software releases, and infrastructure automation. He has also worked as a Software Engineer at NGINX, Inc., and as an Industrial Cyber Security Researcher at Fraunhofer IOSB-INA.
Throughout his career, Sako has honed his skills in areas such as security, reliability, scalability, performance, cost optimization, operational excellence, Kubernetes, Docker, Python, and Linux-based servers. At Huawei Technologies, he worked as a service project manager, responsible for 24x7 of five service providers' network engineering teams' management, and as a system and network support team leader, where he worked on Customer Experience Management platform Operation&Maintenance Linux based servers and storage. He has also worked as a Core Network Planning Team Leader at Bakcell, where he led the Core Network Planning team.
Kyle Casterline,
Radhika Mitra,
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