Portland AI Engineers July Meeting

AI is transforming how we build software, and Portland engineers are at the forefront of this revolution. Whether you're integrating LLMs into production systems or just starting to explore AI capabilities in your personal projects, Portland AI Engineers is your community.

Our meetings bring together developers passionate about practical AI applications that solve real-world problems. Come ready to learn, share, and connect with fellow engineers.

Many thanks to Core Defender AI for sponsoring this event!

Featured presentations

[1 of 3]
A special showcase by Core Defender AI’s AIR (AI & Robotics) youth program
Program Sponsor: Arun Sirimalla

Young students will present their hands-on projects in Robotics and AI. Through this initiative, kids have explored the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and block based coding. At the meetup, they’ll demonstrate custom-built AI chatbot and robotics creations—highlighting the impact of early tech education and the creativity of the next generation of innovators.

Block based coding and AI Chatbot Presentation 1
Presenters:
Aditi Sirimalla, Samara Jonnalagadda, Kushi - 2nd grade

Block Based coding and AI chatbot Presentation 2
Arnav Padala, kavyan kotari, Pravin - 5th Grade

[2 of 3]
An exploration of the relationships between software developers and artificial intelligence
Bret Bernhof

This presentation highlights how these partnerships are changing the software engineering landscape. We will examine the unique strengths AI brings to the coding process, thereby freeing human developers to focus on creativity, strategic thinking and innovation. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how LLMs and AI agents not only enhance productivity but also redefine what it means to be a developer in the modern age.

Bio: My name is Bret. I am a full stack web developer who loves learning. I began my journey in technology with WordPress, community management and streaming media. More recently I’ve been working with Python, TypeScript, React and MySQL among other technologies. Eventually I would like to work as a senior artificial intelligence engineer.

[3 of 3]
Why RAG Fails: The Case for AI Memory
Eric Preisz
Large language models are incredible at generating human-like responses, but they don’t actually remember anything. Every time you interact with an LLM, it starts from zero, relying entirely on what you feed it in the moment. While much of the model buzz is about LLM benchmarks, those who have worked closely with LLMs know that the context and memory we send is at least half of what makes using LLMs a solution.

In this talk, we’ll explore the fundamental problem most AI systems face today: the lack of persistent, intelligent memory. We’ll start at the big-picture level and discuss why memory matters, how it mimics human cognition, and what it enables and then dive into the current landscape of solutions. You’ll learn the difference between working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory in the context of AI systems, and why traditional Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) often breaks down in real-world use.

Bio: Eric Preisz brings a deep technical background, having developed products for Microsoft, Nvidia, Disney, Warner Bros., NASA, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He is the co-author of Video Game Optimization, based on a course he taught at Full Sail University. Eric has held several CEO roles, worked in private equity for over a decade, and is the founder of VanTechy, a ten-year-strong tech meetup in Vancouver. Currently, he leads the development of Engramic, an open-source AI memory centered framework focused on semantic retrieval and persistent context in LLM-based systems

Schedule:

• 5:00 - 5:30: Snacks and networking
• 5:30 - 7:00: Presentations
• 7:00 - 7:30: Wrap up and networking

Details:

• Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025
• Location: Instrument 3529 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Parking & Directions:

• Street parking is mostly PakingKitty managed in the area

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About Portland AI Engineers:
Portland AI Engineers brings together software developers at all experience levels who are passionate about building with generative AI technologies. We focus on practical applications that solve real-world problems by leveraging existing language models and the surrounding GenAI tools ecosystem.
Learn more

Get involved:

• Present your work: Email us at info@portlandai.engineer to discuss sharing your project or insights
• Provide feedback: Help shape our community by sharing your ideas and suggestions
• Sponsor an event: Contact us to discuss partnership opportunities

For more information and to join our community, visit portlandai.engineer

Thank you to our amazing sponsors

Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE)
Silicon Florist
DevThink.AI