AI and Society

**Important:** Register on the [event website](https://luma.com/fmjv8ft4?utm_content=ai%20camp&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter)[ ](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2025110510)is required for admission. (RSVP on meetup is turned off) Join **Together AI and Black Forest Labs** for the AI workshop, bringing together practitioners and researchers interested in model customization. Join **Max Ryabinin**, VP of Research & Development at Together AI, and **Stephen Batifol**, Developer Advocate at Black Forest Labs, for an evening of in-depth technical talks covering recent advances in reasoning with language models and fine-tuning diffusion-based image models. **Talk 1 (Max Ryabinin): Escaping the Verifier: Learning to Reason via Demonstrations** * ​Leveraging Inverse RL to train reasoning language models * ​Jointly optimizing the critic and the policy through an adversarial game * ​How to stabilize adversarial RL with a relativistic objective * ​Strong empirical gains on both non-verifiable and verifiable benchmarks **Talk 2 (Stephen Batifol): LoRA for diffusion image models** * ​How LoRA behaves in diffusion models * ​Choosing effective LoRA hyperparameters for images and how they impact visual quality vs. overfitting * ​Data strategies for high‑quality image LoRAs and diagnosing common failure modes ​ **Agenda**: * ​​18:00–18:15 Welcome reception * ​​18:15–19:15 Escaping the Verifier: Learning to Reason via Demonstrations * ​​19:30–20:30 LoRA for diffusion image models * ​20:30–Close Networking

**Unleash Your Voice at Society Speakers** > **Next Session: Wed 21st Jan \| 7PM \| Oxford St\, London** Whether you're pitching investors, cracking jokes at open mics, or giving a toast that doesn’t tank—**public speaking is your secret weapon**. And the only way to master it? Practice. (And ideally, not alone.) At **Society Speakers**, we give you the mic—and the *confidence* to own it. **Here’s what goes down:** * 3 prepared speeches (5–7 mins) * Lightning-round impromptu speeches (1–2 mins) * Constructive, empowering feedback * Laughs, insights, and mic-drop moments **As a guest:** You can chill and observe—or jump in with a mini speech if you're feeling spicy. **When & Where** Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday 7PM (doors), 7:10PM (kick-off) 📍 Speak Up London, 139 Oxford St, London W1D 2JA 🍻 **Afterglow** We wrap at 9PM and head to the pub for drinks and debriefs. Great convos, zero pressure.

Join us for a discussion on Ayn Rand's idea of a "**moral** sense of life," and the destructive effect of anti-heroism in **education**. We'll focus on Ayn Rand's view of art in Chapter 9 of her book *The Romantic Manifesto*. This essay appears in the book "The Romantic Manifesto," and you can also listen to the lecture on which the essay is based, Art in Education, here: https://courses.aynrand.org/works/art-in-education/ You can buy the full book here: [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Romantic-Manifesto-Philosophy-Literature-Shakespeare/dp/0451149165](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Romantic-Manifesto-Philosophy-Literature-Shakespeare/dp/0451149165)

**Tim Ruffles presents:** *Efficient Reconciliation and Flow Control for Anti-Entropy Protocols* [https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/rvr/papers/flowgossip.pdf](https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/rvr/papers/flowgossip.pdf) The ideas in this paper influenced [systems at Amazon](https://www.cs.cornell.edu/projects/ladis2008/materials/rvr.pdf?), and beyond, e.g. Cassandra, Ringpop from Uber (used in Temporal). **Abstract** The paper shows that anti-entropy protocols can process only a limited rate of updates, and proposes and evaluates a new state reconciliation mechanism as well as a flow control scheme for anti-entropy protocols. **The Speaker** Tim is an engineer at [poolside.ai](http://poolside.ai/), previously at Plaid & GitHub **Location**: Appold St and Worship St corner London EC2A 2AG https://maps.app.goo.gl/GmCdcBLBCLR2ifou7 The nearest tube/train station is Liverpool St The entrance is located at the street level. This is not the main entrance of the building. **Checkin instructions:** \- Please proceed to the registration desk\. \- Have ready your Meetup handle for registration\, you need to be on the list to enter \- A small wristband will be handled to you \- There are drinks available for the night\, but no food\. **The schedule:** • 6.15pm: welcome and chitchat • 6:30pm: presentation starts • 8:00pm: presentation end Meetup are captured on video and uploaded on the PWL London Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEYe-1uDIkjPtuH_qhoybnA

IN PERSON STUDY & CONVERSATION GROUP - OCCULT SCIENCE WITH DAGMAR STEFFELBAUER **Occult Science is not a collection of lectures but a written book by Rudolf Steiner. It is meant for studying the content. It is composed of VII Chapters and the study group has almost reached the end of chapter lV (Human and World Evolution). Soon the study group is going to enter chapter V in which Rudolf Steiner is focusing on our present time and tasks in which each individual Human Being is called to participate. We are using the translation by George and Mary SAdams.** **All are welcome!** **Further information: d.steffelbauer@gmail.com** This group is run under the auspices of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain and small donations towards expenses are welcome. £ 3 / £2 .

We are at The CORONET PUB, HOLLOWAY! - An informal chat about anything you like.
Conversation is free flowing and friendly.
We always leave knowing something new!
So as to find us easily there will be a GREEN BALL on our table.

**This month:** This fantasy adventure follows an unlikely group brought together by a plan gone wrong and a series of high-stakes decisions. As the story unfolds, characters must choose whom to trust, when to improvise, and how to deal with the consequences of past mistakes -often without knowing which option is “right.” While watching, we’ll track moments of choice under pressure: loyalty versus self-interest, intention versus outcome, and action versus hesitation. What makes a choice justified when all options carry risks? After the screening, we’ll explore these questions together. Also be ready for a surprise practical exercise, where philosophy shifts from analysis to lived experience! No prior philosophy required - just curiosity and a willingness to choose. **Can you guess the film? Or come and find out on the day!** Note that **the event will start at 6pm** due to a longer film. PFA Film Club hosts free screenings of thought-provoking films, followed by a discussion about the raised philosophical issues, for general public. In 2026 meetings are held every third WEDNESDAY of the month at the Cafe of St. Hilda's East Community Centre, 18 Club Row, London E2 7EY. The nearest station is **Shoreditch High Street** on the Overground. The screening starts at 6:30 pm (or at 6pm for longer films) and we need to vacate the building by 9:00pm. We offer complimentary light refreshments during the event. For the most up-to-date schedule of the upcoming film club events, visit our [website](http://pfalondon.org/#rec767601373).

Hello and welcome to our next **GenAI UK in-person event**, delivered **in collaboration with [Data & AI Leaders](https://www.meetup.com/data-and-ai-leaders-uk/)**[.](https://www.meetup.com/data-and-ai-leaders-uk/) This session brings together engineers, ML practitioners, data and platform teams, product leaders, and technologists who are building and operating generative AI systems in real-world environments, alongside senior practitioners responsible for scaling those capabilities inside organisations. This collaborative session focuses on what happens when GenAI moves beyond experimentation, exploring how AI capabilities are built, scaled, and operated in production, and how teams reduce operational toil while maintaining security, reliability, and delivery velocity. Our meetups are friendly, welcoming, and practitioner-led, creating space for the community to learn from real systems, real teams, and real trade-offs. This session will include technical and experience-led talks, Q&A, and open discussion with members of the GenAI UK community. **We run:** • Online events for our UK & global audience • In-person meetups in London Please keep an eye on our Meetup page for future sessions. We are delighted to host this **in-person GenAI UK event in London on the 22nd of January**, in collaboration with **[Data & AI Leaders](https://www.meetup.com/data-and-ai-leaders-uk/)** and **[Incident.io](https://incident.io/)**. **Speakers and Sessions:** **Speaker: [Rory Malcolm](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-m-m/), Product Engineer at Incident.io** **Session Title: My first year as an AI engineer** Rory walks through Incident.io’s first year building an AI capability, covering both the technical and organisational challenges of moving from early experimentation to a team able to make meaningful progress against real AI goals. **Due to a last-minute change of plans, Ethan will be delivering a talk instead of Dylan.** Speaker: Ethan Sumner, Co-Founder & CEO - Community Stack Session Title: Pathway to Production Description: In this session, Ethan will be discussing viable options of pathways to production for AI workloads, the well-architected framework and FinOps. **Agenda:** 18:00 — Welcome & refreshments 18:30 — Introduction - [Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/) 18:35 — [Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/) 19:10 — Break 19:20 — [Rory Malcolm](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-m-m/) 19:55 — Close & networking **We are always keen to hear from:** • Speakers — demos, applied GenAI projects, engineering deep dives • Sponsors — support for venues, recording, accessibility or community initiatives • Collaborators — meetups, research groups and ecosystem partners If you’d like to speak, sponsor, or collaborate on a future session, please get in touch with **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/) via LinkedIn or Meetup**. This community forms part of the **[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)** and follows the **Community Stack Code of Conduct**, helping us maintain a respectful, inclusive and welcoming environment for all attendees. We look forward to seeing you in January, and for those planning ahead, the **next [GenAI UK online](https://www.meetup.com/generative-ai-uk-community/events/312728629/) event takes place on the 3rd of March**.

**Important:** Register on the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026012210)[ ](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2025110510)is required for admission. Welcome to the AI meetup in London, in collaboration with Civo. Join us for deep dive tech talks on AI, GenAI, LLMs and Agents, hands-on experiences on code labs, workshops, and networking with speakers and fellow developers. **Speakers/Topics:** Check the [event website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026012210) for speakers and topics. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support AI developers community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, but also gain exposure to our extensive membership base of 20,000+ AI developers in London and 500K+ worldwide.

[YOU CAN BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: https://www.writeandpint.com/events/self-society-writing-eating-drinking-a-mini-pub-quiz-at-the-end .... **Saturday 24 Jan 2026 \| 11:00 – 17:00** You’re warmly invited to join us for a **full-day creative writing workshop** with food & drink, literary handouts, and a little fun thrown in for good measure. *** ### **Self & Society** A day exploring how **inner lives meet outer worlds** — how we’re shaped by the places, cultures, and systems we move through, and how writing helps us notice, question, and respond. This isn’t just about poetry (though poetry is welcome). We’ll work with **prose, memoir, philosophy, fragments, and hybrid forms**, reading widely, writing freely, and following curiosity wherever it leads. By the end of the day, you’ll leave with: * New writing * Ideas sparked * Drafts begun * Plenty to keep working with long after the workshop ends *** ### **What do we mean by Self & Society?** We’re interested in writing that asks questions like: * What does it mean to live a life from the inside, in a shared world? * How do private thoughts and public realities shape one another? * Where do personal experience and wider culture meet? * How can writing help us see — and speak — more clearly? We’ll read short extracts from poets, essayists, philosophers, and storytellers, then experiment with their approaches through guided writing exercises. No dogma. No right answers. Just enquiry, attention, and honest language. *** ### **The plan** * Start the day with tea or coffee and a gentle warm-up writing session * Break for brunch at The Reliance Pub * Settle into reading, conversation, supported exploration, and more writing * Wind down with a late afternoon / early evening drink * Finish with a mini pub quiz, purely for fun *** ### **What’s included** * Full day of creative writing workshops & exercises * Tea or coffee to start * Reliance Pub brunch platter * Late-afternoon / early-evening drink * Thoughtful literary handouts * **FREE Penguin Mini Classic** for every participant *** ### **What to bring** * Yourself * Pen & notebook — or a laptop if you prefer *** ### **Our style** * Friendly, supportive, inclusive * Everybody welcome — no experience necessary * No pressure to share or perform * Take part quietly, actively, or anywhere in between If you have any doubts or questions, text me on **+44 (0) 7534 981 636** Warm wishes, **Sean** *A Write & a Pint*

PyTorch isn't just another framework; it's the de-facto standard for Deep Learning. Our community is dedicated to bringing together PyTorch users in London and those with a profound interest in ML and AI. This is your platform to share experiences, network, seek advice, and initiate collaborations. This event is packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and exchange ideas and knowledge with experts from both Revolut and the data industry. Join us for exclusive talks from Revolut speakers and our partner, PyTorch, and dive into the world of Data Science—with a special focus on conversational AI. Here's what you can look forward to at the meet-up. **Speakers** 1\. Stas Bichenko\, CEO at Recombine: "Solving Interruptions in Voice AI" 2\. Anna Baidina \(Revolut\) 3\. Angelo Giacco \(ElevenLabs\) **Event Details:** **Date:** 22th January 2026 **Time:** 18:30 (GMT+4) **Where:** Revolut HQ Office

Hello and welcome to our next **Data & AI Leaders** event. This session brings together Heads of Data, AI, and Analytics; senior technology and engineering leaders; Principal and Staff Data/ML Engineers; Platform and Capability Leads; and strategic decision-makers responsible for shaping data and AI strategy, governance, and value delivery within their organisations. Our meetups are friendly, thoughtful, and discussion-driven, designed to create a space where leaders can share real-world experience, reflect on complex challenges, and learn from peers who are building and scaling Data and AI capabilities in the real world. This session will include leadership talks, guided discussion, Q&A, and time for networking with fellow data and AI leaders. **We run:** • Bi-monthly in-person leadership meetups and roundtables in London • Bi-monthly online sessions for our wider leadership community Please keep an eye on our Meetup page for future events. Food and refreshments will be provided for in-person events where a host venue is supporting. We are delighted to host this security-focused meetup in London on the **22nd of January,** in partnership with [Incident.io](https://incident.io/). **Speakers and Sessions:** Speaker: **[Rory Malcolm](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-m-m/)**, Product Engineer at Incident.io Session Title: My first year as an AI engineer Description: Join Rory, Product Engineer at Incident.io, as he walks through everything the team learned in their first year building an AI capability. This session focuses on how they scaled both technically and socially, growing from early work into an engineering team able to make meaningful progress against real AI goals. Expect practical insight into team growth, collaboration, and what actually enabled progress. **Due to a last-minute change of plans, Ethan will be delivering a talk instead of Dylan.** Speaker: Ethan Sumner, Co-Founder & CEO - Community Stack Session Title: Pathway to Production Description: In this session, Ethan will be discussing viable options of pathways to production for AI workloads, the well-architected framework and FinOps. **Agenda (GMT / UK):** 18:00 — Welcome and refreshments 18:30 — Introduction — Ethan Sumner 18:35 — Speaker 1 19:10 — Break 19:20 — Speaker 2 19:55 — Close and networking **We are always keen to hear from:** • Speakers — leadership case studies, transformation journeys and strategic insights • Hosts — organisations able to support executive-style roundtables and meetups • Sponsors — support with venue access, refreshments, recording or accessibility If you would like to speak, sponsor, or host a future session, please get in touch with **[Ethan Sumner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethansumner404/)** via LinkedIn. You can find our **[YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)**[ ](https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityStackHQ)via our community pages, where we publish selected talks and highlights. This community forms part of the[ ](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)**[Community Stack ecosystem](https://www.meetup.com/pro/generative-ai-uk-community/)** and follows the **Community Stack Code of Conduct**, ensuring a respectful, inclusive and welcoming environment where leaders can share openly and learn from one another.

**🚩 Your AI isn’t the problem. Your prompts might be.** Left unchecked, Generative AI can create inconsistency and chaos — but with the right prompts, it can accelerate impactful content creation without compromising on quality. In this talk, **[Lucy Woodham](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-woodham-49283482/)**, Senior Content Designer at **Mastercard**, will dive into how you can harness Generative AI to make life easier for you and your stakeholders, with your strategic oversight at the helm. **When:** Thursday 22 January, from 6.30pm **Where:** Codat, 15 Long Ln, London, EC1A 9PN **What:** 18.30 - 19.00 Arrival 19.00 - 19.45 Presentation 19.45 - 20.00 Short break 20.00 - 20.45 Presentation and practice 20.45 - 21.30 Networking *All times are approximate.* **How to find us:** The entrance to the Codat office is located inside the glass doors of Griffin Court, to the left of the Subway. You'll see WTD signs and organisers. [Map pin](https://maps.app.goo.gl/E2Ap9mfCvVprvLrVA) \| [what3words](https://what3words.com/bride.lock.eating) **Photos:** Note that the organizers will take some photos for the WTD group.

Philosophy in the Park is a philosophical discussion group. Open to all. No previous philosophical experience necessary. We will meet in the Barbican Centre on Level Minus 1. Outside The Hall. Here's how it works: * At the start of each hour vote on which questions to discuss. You can vote for more than one question if you'd like. The questions with the most votes are the questions we discuss. * We then break up into groups and each group does a different question. The question is just a starting point and it's cool if you go on tangents and up end talking about different things. You're welcome to join in and participate or if you'd prefer you're welcome to sit back and enjoy the conversation. After an hour we all come back together, take a quick break and then repeat all over again. So in 3 hours we go around 3 times. The aim is to have fun, meet new people, generate interesting and thought-provoking conversations, have your horizons expanded, challenge your preconceptions and who knows - you might even learn something? In order to make the conversations as fun, interesting and productive for everyone as possible please follow these simple guidelines: 1. Keep it Philosophical (No Science, no History, no Evolutionary Psychology, no contestable facts, personal anecdotes etc). 2. Think for Yourself (No phones, no looking up definitions, no name dropping Philosophers / books you've read). 3. Tangents are Cool (Don't worry too much if the subject drifts and you don't answer the question). 4. Keep it Succinct (Like this). 5. Be Excellent to Each Other (But of course). Philosophy is about conceptual analysis. It's thinking about thinking. It's not about empiricism or the real world. It's about abstractions, concepts and ideas. To terms of the right attitude: It's not about debating and trying to win - it's about listening to people and working collaboratively to increase our collective understanding. No homework or prior knowledge or reading is necessary - simply come and enjoy the discussions. After the event finishes we have an area reserved in The Shakespeare pub which is just around the corner from the Barbican. You are very welcome to join us if you'd like. If you would like to submit a question please join the Whatsapp group. Question submissions take place on the Thursday before the meeting. We hope to see you there. Nice one. ... To join the Philosophy in the Park WhatsApp Group please click here: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK](https://chat.whatsapp.com/CdFaxJHbeOw9UOfuk7spiK) (in order to stop spam bots this will take you to a Waiting Room. Once in please write your name and we will join you to the main chat). If the link doesn't work then please send me a message with your phone number and I can add you directly. Meetup charges subscription fees. If you would like to make a donation please click here: [https://paypal.me/philosophycollective](https://paypal.me/philosophycollective)

**\*\*\*\* More details and sign up at: https://aifalliance.org/summit-2026/ \*\*\*\*** **What is AI Freedom Alliance?** AI Freedom Alliance promotes the responsible growth of AI guided by practical, commonsense ethics. Our nonprofit is built by professionals from a wide range of industries and is made up entirely of small- and mediumbusiness representatives—never large tech companies. We provide a counterbalance to big corporate influence, focusing instead on how AI can benefit businesses and the world at large. **What’s Happening?** ***The inaugural AI Freedom Alliance Summit.*** This full-day event will explore how we can ensure AI is adopted responsibly through shared ethical standards that empower humanity. The summit will feature interactive and educational sessions led by thought leaders, technologists, policymakers, and advocates who are passionate about making AI fair, transparent, and beneficial for everyone. **Why Attend?** Learn about the legal and technical challenges with implementing AI solutions within your organization. Build better solutions while protecting your organization from legal and compliance risks. And learn how to think strategically about AI as a differentiation tool for your business. This summit is highly recommended for C-Suite leaders to learn as well as interact with each other and our sponsors.

Join Soft Life Society for a cozy and intentional Cultural Potluck Night centered on community, connection, and culture. This is a potluck-style gathering where each guest is invited to bring a dish that represents their culture, heritage, or a family tradition. We will be tasting and sharing each other’s cultural foods while connecting through conversation, laughter, and soft living. The evening will also include fun games and a prize for the winner. Drinks will be available, but guests are welcome to bring their own favorite beverage if they prefer. This is a relaxed, welcoming space to slow down and enjoy a beautiful evening together. Limited spots available. RSVP required.

Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Optional topic for this meet up: Is life a dream? Is life a simulation? Dreams feel real while they last. Could life work the same way? How do we know we’re awake, and what follows if we can’t be sure? Let’s kick that around over a around of drinks: • What makes something feel real: continuity, shared evidence, or meaning? • How do we know we're not in a simulation? • How would you tell you’re awake (reality checks, memory, other people)? • If life is dreamlike, what becomes of free will and responsibility? • Is identity a story we keep telling—who’s the narrator? • Are we author, actor, or audience in our dreams and how would you tell? • Does art/film reveal reality or replace it? No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it’s fun.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

This is an in-person meeting. At this meeting you will get answers to depression and anxiety. Find out the source of them and how to get rid of them. Did you know that unwanted emotions like anxiety, depression, unhappiness, loneliness, hopelessness, anger, fear, or feelings of irritation don’t just fall on you for no reason. They are not random occurrences that simply happen to people's minds. They are definitely not due to a chemical imbalance in your brain from some nebulous chemical reaction "by chance". Your negative emotions are the symptoms of the painful experiences that you have which are not healed, and which are still affecting you. The effects of these painful experiences are exacerbated by the pressures or difficulties of the other problems in your life. Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio and Church of Scientology of Central Ohio.

### Tools in your AI's Toolbox : An introduction to MCP Servers The generative AI revolution has unlocked unprecedented capabilities, but the next frontier is agency: empowering models to interact with, query, and act upon the world. The current challenge is the “N x M integration problem,” where every AI model requires a custom, brittle integration for each external tool or data source. This approach simply doesn’t scale. How can we give an AI access to our sales leads, code repositories, or IoT devices in a standardized, secure, and reusable way? This session introduces Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open-source framework designed to solve this challenge and become the universal connector—the USB-C port—for AI. MCP standardizes how AI models discover and use external tools, moving beyond simple function-calling to a robust, client-server architecture. We will dive into how this open protocol is creating a new ecosystem for building powerful, context-aware AI agents. Join this session for a developer-focused introduction where you will learn how to: Understand the core concepts of the open-source Model Context Protocol and its architecture. Utilize pre-built, open-source MCP servers to instantly connect AI to tools like Git, Slack, and databases. Build a custom MCP server to securely expose your own proprietary data and APIs as tools for any compliant AI. Move beyond bespoke integrations and contribute to a standardized, collaborative, and open ecosystem. Stop building one-off connectors and start building intelligent agents. This session will give you the practical knowledge to leverage MCP and create the next generation of AI that doesn’t just talk, but does. Want to be a speaker? submit your talk to our Call for Presenters!!! [https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/](https://sessionize.com/azure-cbus-2026/)