Artificial Intelligence

## Riga Philosophy Discussion Meetup Welcome to an open philosophy discussion group for curious minds, thoughtful conversation, and respectful debate. After traveling the world for the past few years as a digital nomad, I’ve noticed that nearly every major city has a philosophy discussion group — a place where people from different backgrounds gather to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore life’s bigger questions together. This meetup is an opportunity to create that kind of space here as well. The purpose of this group is not to “win” arguments or prove others wrong, but to think deeply, listen carefully, and enjoy meaningful conversation. Whether you are new to philosophy or have studied it for years, everyone is welcome. **Topics may include:** * *Ethics and morality* * *Consciousness and free will* * *Meaning and purpose* * *Technology and society* * *Politics and human nature* * *Happiness and suffering* * *Logic, reason, and belief* * *Artificial intelligence and the future* * *Classic philosophical ideas and modern dilemmas* For our first meetup, we will begin by proposing several discussion topics. The group can then vote, and by majority we will explore whichever topic generates the most interest. Possible first discussion topics: * *Are humans naturally good or selfish?* * *Can happiness be the highest goal?* * *Ethics of artificial intelligence* * *Is ignorance bliss?* * *Should emotions guide decisions?* The format will be informal, open, and conversational. Everyone is encouraged to participate, ask questions, and share perspectives respectfully. If the first meetup goes well, the plan is to make this a weekly gathering. **Simply look for the table with the Latvian flag on it when you enter.** *Note: The conversation and all discussion will solely be in English.*

Come and meet people in Riga! **New venue:** for the June 5 event I reserved a table at Tallinas Kvartals Ezitis Migla. If the weather is warm, we can be outside, if cold, we can be inside. * **When:** First Friday of each month, this time the 5th of June, 2026, at 7pm * **Ending:** while the duration is announced to be 2 hours, the party usually lasts longer * **Where:** The June 5 event will be held at **Tallinas Kvartals Ezitis Migla** * Prices: the event itself is free of charge, but please get a drink or a meal at the bar. Age limit: 18 and older. Photos of participants might be taken at the event and posted publicly to social media, including but not limited to [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com.) By joining the event, you accept this condition. Please join the event here (meetup.com is free for regular users) or contact us if you have any questions. Event communication will take place within [meetup.com.](http://meetup.com.) Please check for posts and messages regularly. Hope to see you soon. *Photo: [Sandra Q. on Trip Advisor](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g274967-d21225446-Reviews-Tallinas_Ielas_Kvartals-Riga_Riga_Region.html#/media/21225446/?type=ALL_INCLUDING_RESTRICTED&albumid=101&category=101)*

Come to check out our hackerspace, talk to people and learn some new things, maybe use the tools for a short while, or just sit down with a laptop and do some work in a quiet place. Also a good time to sign up for a membership! We will have tea and coffee, likely also cookies. Come whenever from 19:00 till 22:00 - we might even be open until 24:00! If there's a problem (i.e. doors not open), call 28701072.

Wednesday is karaoke day. Every Wednesday we gather to sing. Come with a friend or alone, with or without a voice. The format is simple: show up, grab a microphone, and sing whatever you want. Or don't sing, just support others. As usual, the meeting place is Top Club. If you haven't been before, you can get to know the space at the same time. We're looking forward to seeing you this Wednesday. See you there! Trešdiena ir karaoke diena. Katru trešdienu mēs pulcējamies dziedāt. Nāc ar draugu vai viens, ar balsi vai bez. Formāts ir vienkāršs: nāc, paņem mikrofonu un dziedi, ko vien vēlies. Vai arī nedzied, vienkārši atbalsti citus. Kā parasti, tikšanās vieta ir Top klubs. Ja iepriekš neesi tur bijis, vari vienlaikus iepazīties ar vietu. Gaidīsim ciemos šajā trešdienā. Tiekamies tur!

Every Thursday we go to play Bingo at the Top club. We enjoy the evening, test our luck. Sometimes we also get gifts. Come play with us. Let's have a drink and talk together. **free** event . . Katru ceturtdienu mēs ejam spēlēt Bingo klubā Top. Izbaudām vakaru, pārbaudām savu veiksmi. Dažreiz mēs arī saņemam dāvanas. Nāc spēlēt ar mums. Kopā iedzersim un parunāsim. **bezmaksas** pasākums

**Are you interested in photography, creativity, or simply seeing Riga from a fresh perspective?** **We invite you to join our Color Hunting Workshop on June 4 at 2:00 PM in Old Town, Riga!** **During this interactive photography walk, we'll explore the city through colors, patterns, and details that often go unnoticed. Together, we'll challenge ourselves to look at familiar places differently, experiment with creative perspectives, and capture unique moments through our lenses.** **📅 Date: June 4** **🕑 Time: 2:00 PM** **📍 Meeting Point: Old Town, Riga** **No professional camera is needed — your phone is enough! The most important thing is your curiosity and willingness to explore.** **Whether you're passionate about photography or simply looking for a creative way to spend your afternoon, this workshop is for you.** **🔗 Registration link: https://forms.gle/gWqqetkY4fNsbVDeA** **We look forward to discovering the colors of Riga together!** **——————** **📸 Color Hunting Fotodarbnīca (aizpildi formu)** **Kas notiktu, ja mēs uz brīdi palēninātu ikdienas skrējienu un sāktu pamanīt krāsas, kas slēpjas mums apkārt pilsētā?** **Pievienojies radošai foto pastaigai pa Rīgas ielām, kur kopā meklēsim interesantas krāsu kombinācijas, skatīsimies uz pilsētu no dažādām perspektīvām, iemūžināsim detaļas, kuras ikdienā bieži nepamanām, un pārvērtīsim parastus mirkļus mākslā.** **🗓️ 4. jūnijs** **🕑 14:00** **📍 Tikšanās vieta: Vecrīga** **Šī darbnīca ir lieliska iespēja attīstīt savas fotografēšanas prasmes, trenēt aci pamanīt skaistumu mazās lietās un izpaust savu radošumu caur fotogrāfiju — neatkarīgi no tā, vai izmanto kameru vai telefonu.** **🔗https://forms.gle/5XSn6P2S7kqM7p2T6** **Nāc ar ziņkāri, radošumu un vēlmi ieraudzīt Rīgu citādāk ✨** *******Organizē jauniešu organizācija KAŅIERIS (Kaņiera iela 15, Rīga)**

Topic to be announced. **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Most people still use AI like a search box: type one question, get one answer, repeat. But the next step is AI agents: systems that can take a goal, break it into steps, use tools, remember context, and produce useful work for a human to review. In this beginner-friendly session, we’ll demystify what AI agents actually are — without hype or jargon. We’ll walk through practical examples of how agents can help with research, planning, writing, coding, operations, and personal productivity. We’ll cover: * What makes an AI “agent” instead of just a chatbot * How agents break tasks into steps * Where agents are genuinely useful today * Where they fail, hallucinate, or need human review * How to design simple AI workflows for your own work * A live demo of an AI agent-style workflow from start to finish No coding experience required. This is for anyone who wants to understand where AI tools are going and how to use them more effectively right now. LOGISTICS AND PARKING: The talk starts at 7:00 PM. The first half hour is reserved for everyone to get set up and mingle. Free pizza and drinks! The cheapest parking option is to find street parking, which will only cost you a few bucks. Otherwise, park in the nearby veteran's museum lot for $8. It's highly recommended you avoid the nearby $15 garage parking.

**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 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *July Meeting - Lightning Talks!* Lightning talks are very short presentations on a topic of your choice (must be related to .NET). Talks should be 15-20 minutes in length and include minimal slides and quick demo (no live coding please). There will be 6 slots available! First come, first serve! **YouTube Link** TBD

QA or the Highway is a one-day, affordable, regional, professional conference featuring real-world experience and thought leadership in the QA and testing industry. This is a ticketed event please register here: https://www.qaorthehwy.com/ Featured Keynote Speakers: **Matthew-Hope Eland** **(Wizard at Leading EDJE)** \- An AI Specialist and Wizard at Leading EDJE who is known to teach software engineering\, AI\, and data science concepts in the most ridiculous ways possible\. Matt has used machine learning to settle debates over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie\, reinforcement learning to drive the behavior of digital squirrels\, data analytics to suggest improvements to his favorite TV show\, and AI agents to play board games and create an AI agent with the personality of a dog\. Matt is the author of "Data Science in \.NET with Polyglot Notebooks" and "Refactoring with C\#" as well as several LinkedIn Learning courses\. Matt helps organize the Central Ohio \.NET Developer Group\, runs several blogs and a YouTube channel\, has a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics\, and is a current Microsoft MVP in AI and \.NET\. **Tatyana Arbouzova** **(CEO at Innovate QA)** \- Tatyana Arbouzova is an engineering and business leader with a strong background in Quality Engineering across multiple industries\, including Big Tech\, Healthcare\, and Entertainment\. She has held leadership roles at world\-class companies such as Microsoft\, VMware\, Disney\, and The Pokémon Company International\, where she focused on building quality\-driven cultures and scaling teams to deliver high\-impact products\. With decades of experience\, Tatyana has helped organizations transform their quality practices so teams can deliver software efficiently\, confidently\, and with measurable business outcomes\. Today\, Tatyana advises software companies on adopting AI to optimize quality practices and improve how software is delivered at scale\. She is also a passionate community builder and the founder of Innovate QA\, a thriving Seattle\-based community and conference for quality professionals\.

Topic to be announced. **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/ **THANK YOU** *VEEAM* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Veeam*, please visit their website: https://www.veeam.com/ **DIRECTIONS** 8800 Lyra Dr #450 · Columbus, OH go to 4th floor. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

NFT's are here to stay folks! This is a group for like minded people interested in understanding, leveraging, using, creating for, profiting from, trading too i suppose, NFT's.. everything around them, complexity, fear and exploits, best practices and more. **PLUS** This group will talk AI ART tools, techniques, artists, video, audio, prototypes and more in the AI assisted production space- ART specifically, but we can get into any aspect of some of the cooler things happening in AI in general.

**The Behavior Gap: Where Products Win or Lose** Teams today have more data than ever, and yet many still struggle to understand why customers adopt, engage with, or abandon their products. Teams sprint, ship faster, and chase more signals… all while metrics stall and confidence drops. The missing piece isn’t more data. It’s often the behavioral insight between the metrics, explaining why the numbers move in the first place. Dashboards can tell you what customers did, but understanding why they did it (and how to influence what they do next) requires a deeper blend of insights. This session is about closing that gap. Drawing from real-world experience designing and scaling products as [ZoCo Design](https://zocodesign.com/)’s CEO, [Lacey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) will share how to cut through the noise and identify the insights that actually change behavior—moving people, and moving metrics. You’ll learn: * Why understanding customer behavior is a quant and qual challenge * How to spot the signals that actually predict behavior change * Where AI accelerates insight, and where it creates distraction * How to get meaningfully closer to customers, without adding more tools This talk reframes how to evaluate performance and identify what levers actually improve it, helping your team to make smarter bets with greater confidence. Every meaningful outcome is driven by behavior change. And when you know how to design for behavior, you stop guessing, and start building things that work. **About Our Speaker** [Lacey Picazo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laceypicazo/) is the Founder and CEO of ZoCo, a healthcare product studio that turns complex, high-stakes ideas into products that drive real-world adoption. She partners with healthcare organizations to uncover critical care delivery insights, focus product strategy through behavior design, and build solutions that patients and providers actually use. Thanks to our 2026 sponsors: [Clarivoy](https://www.clarivoy.com), [What Box Consulting Group](https://www.whatboxconsultinggroup.com), [Conductrics](https://www.conductrics.com), and [Piwik PRO](https://piwik.pro) More info at [cbusdaw.com](https://cbusdaw.com)