Machine Intelligence

Vision Language Models (VLMs) such as LLaVA, Qwen-VL, Nemotron VL and GPT-4o have unlocked a new era in AI where language and sight converge into a single reasoning system. These models can describe images, answer visual questions, read documents, and interpret charts — but their true power emerges when you fine-tune them on domain-specific data, teaching them to see and reason about the visual world that matters to you. In this hands-on session, we walk through the full fine-tuning pipeline for vision-language models. We begin by understanding how these architectures work — how a visual encoder like CLIP or SigLIP is coupled with a large language model through a projection layer, and how the interplay between image tokens and text tokens enables multimodal reasoning. We then move into the practical side: preparing image-text datasets, choosing the right fine-tuning strategy (full fine-tuning vs. LoRA vs. QLoRA), configuring training with frameworks like Hugging Face Transformers and PEFT, and evaluating results on real-world benchmarks. We will also discuss when and why fine-tuning a VLM is the right approach compared to alternatives like prompt engineering or retrieval-augmented generation, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as catastrophic forgetting, overfitting on small visual datasets, and misaligned image-text pairs. Bring your laptop, your curiosity, and — if you have one — a dataset you would like to try. By the end of the session you will have a clear, reproducible workflow for adapting any open-source vision-language model to a custom task. \*\*📅 Open to all levels — no prerequisites, just curiosity.\*\*

**Hello Mishmashers 👋** Excited to see you at our next meetup! Here's what you can look forward to: 💬 **Great chats with lovely people**! whether you're a local or from the other side of the world, you’re very welcome here! 🌍 **Not a native English speaker?** Awesome, you’ll get to practice with native speakers in a relaxed, no-pressure setting. 🇮🇪 **Are you a native English speaker?** Cool! Chat in English or find someone to practice another language with. Why not mix it up? ✨ We’re a **diverse, super-friendly, and inclusive bunch**, open to everyone, whether you’re shy, outgoing, or somewhere in between. 🎯 Our awesome organizers are always around to make sure things run smoothly and everyone feels included. 💡 One of the nicest things we hear again and again: even introverts feel at ease here. That’s something we’re really proud of. 🤝 **Instant connections!** You might walk in alone, but you'll probably leave with new friends. 📅 **This Saturday at 2:30pm!** We’ll be downstairs around the big oval table at a much-loved venue that's perfect for easy-going conversations and real connection. 🎉 **Theme: “International Mishmash”**: A chill space for people from all over (including Ireland!) to swap stories, share laughs, and practice languages if you fancy. (Shout-out to our lovely Irish regulars!) 🍻 **And after?** At 5pm, we’ll head over to the nearby **RIOT Pub** for tasty burgers and proper pints. Always a good time!!! *** **Want to support the group? 🙏** Running this thing costs over €200 a year (yep, all out of pocket for now 😅). If you’d like to chip in, we’d really appreciate it: * [PayPal](https://paypal.me/meetuppay) * [Revolut](https://revolut.me/michelf9a) (you can pay with your card, no need to be on Revolut!). Your help keeps the group going and opens the door for even more cool events (like day trips and gigs!). Cheers and see you soon! **– Michele & the Meetup Crew**

Tired of casual chit chat with no connection among strangers? Looking for a new activity to pick up on weekends? Ready to get your body moving, sweating, and discover a new side of yourself you did not know you had? You are in luck, we have just what the doctor ordered! Experience the wonderful environment that can only be had with the sound of Afro-Latin music. Learn to feel the rhythm and body movement of traditional Cuban Salsa, show off your moves with Sensual bachata, or simply come to have good craic and meet new folks! Class schedule as follows: ● **3 - 4pm**: Salsa class ● **4 - 5pm:** Bachata class ● **5 - 6pm:** Social Dance ● **VENUE**: Turk's Head 27 Parliament St Dublin 2 ***Note***: *Meetup attendance list is not reflective of actual number of people that show up! Come with or without a partner and get ready to dance!* Check our website for specifics on upcoming events: [https://www.dublinsalsabachata.com](https://www.dublinsalsabachata.com/)

📚Reading books and discussing them are two distinct experiences! Conversations about books and sharing insights help us better appreciate literature and enrich our lives. Optional: Since the weather is good today. We will meet in the Stephen's green near James Joyce Statue facing MoLI, https://maps.app.goo.gl/DX2AX2xYNTkU88Vq7?g_st=ic at 5, do silent reading for an hour. Then head to Bartley's. Bartley's is open from 5, so feel free to meet in Stephen's green or Bartley at 5. Bring a mat and headphones. Let's grab a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and discuss books we're currently reading or have recently enjoyed—whether poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. Bring your physical book or e-reader. There's no formal structure or agenda—just books and good conversation.💬 It's a perfect place to get book recommendations and rediscover your reading momentum if you've hit a slump. We welcome readers of all backgrounds and interests! ⚠️**Something Happened?** If something unpleasant happened to you, it may happen to others. Even if it seems minor, don't hesitate to reach out to me. 🔍 **How to find us?** * When I reach the venue, I'll leave a comment in the meetup where the group is seated. Normally, the booking is in my name, so you can ask the staff for the group. * If you're unable to find us, leave a comment in the meetup page. I'll be able to guide you. We highly encourage you to move between tables and strike up conversations with fellow book lovers. These discussions about literature and reading recommendations are often the highlight of the event! As an organizer, I'm always looking for feedback about the event and suggestions for new events, so feel free to suggest ideas to me. 💡 I look forward to seeing you all! 😊

Make time for our group activities and fun icebreakers where you can bring fresh energy into your week and meet someone new. Expect a laid-back vibe with plenty of room to be yourself. Refreshments provided. All backgrounds and personalities are celebrated here.

Many of us are now realising that in order to live more in harmony with each other and the planet we need to recognise that we humans are nature. We are not separate from or superior to the natural world, we are part of the web of life and deeply connected to the rest of the living world. In this group harmony singing workshop we will sing songs and chants from around the world which celebrate our connection with and belonging to the natural world. Though we have been a destructive force on this planet, we humans also know how to be stewards of the land. Singing in harmony helps us to reconnect to our sense of togetherness and belonging and helps us tune in to our connection to the rest of the living world. All welcome – women, men and older kids who like singing. You don’t need any singing or voice-work experience as it isn’t about talent, it is about participation. This is a relaxed, inclusive, friendly and safe space, with no right or wrong way to use the voice. Adults of all ages, orientations, backgrounds and abilities are welcome. Singing is a wonderful way to feel connected to oneself and others. This group singing workshop will help you find joy, connection, harmony and oneness. Through simple vocal exercises, movements and inspiring and empowering chants and songs from around the world, we will sing our cares away, have fun and express ourselves. You will leave renewed and uplifted, and with a deep sense of belonging and community. Click [here](https://fullcirclechange.ie/offerings/self-care/singing/) to learn more about the style of singing at this workshop. Harmony singing is extremely beneficial to our physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing, and you will leave feeling recharged, grounded, and uplifted. Please book a ticket in advance [here](https://fullcirclechange.ie/event/we-are-nature-singing-workshop/). Prices from €45/40 concessions or €70 for 2 people booking together

Drink & Draw Ireland's paint party. Win Prizes. Create A Masterpiece. Music & craic! Absolutely no painting experience is necessary. This event is open to everyone, bring a loved one, a friend or come alone🎨 No experience is needed and in under two hours you will create a painting of your very own Studio Ghibli inspired masterpiece! **[Buy Tickets here](https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/drink-draw-studio-ghibli-tickets-1985521480196?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&_gl=1*rj63e2*_up*MQ..*_ga*ODM5Mzk3MjU1LjE3NzczNzQzMjk.*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NzczNzQzMjkkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzczNzQzMjkkajYwJGwwJGgw)** **What you get with your ticket?** ☀ 1 x Canvas to keep ☀ All the painting materials necessary ☀ Instructor to help guide you ☀ Custom playlist with feel good tunes ☀ Win prizes! **FAQs:** **I'M NO GOOD AT ART AND HAVEN'T PAINTED SINCE SCHOOL?** Drink & Draw is a super fun event designed so you can have a good time, we aren't about perfection we want you to relax and create. We have instructors who will help guide you to creating your own masterpiece. It doesn't matter if you can't paint this about relaxing. **WHAT IF I GET PAINT ON MY CLOTHES?** We use non-toxic paint that can be machine washed. **DO YOU DO PRIVATE EVENTS?** Yes, we host private events, brand events, hen parties, and work parties. Contact us on bookings@alternativeexperiences.ie

During social tennis, I offer some coaching advice and matchplay tactics if players are interested in that. It is suitable to all players, whether you're a total beginner or an experienced player, everyone is welcome. Matches will last 15 - 30 minutes depending on the level which is generally a wide range of beginners to advanced players.

Hey there, if you're looking to get started with tennis or get back into it, this is the perfect lesson for you! It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾 Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇 https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu Other groups are available as follows: 9am: new beginners 11am: women's only beginners 1pm: new beginners 2pm: lower beginners 3pm: upper beginners 4pm: social tennis 5pm: improvers & intermediates

Newly started IG: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetsocialdublin/ Every event is **5 euros** to the host, you can pay by using Revolut or Cash. This helps me maintains the group as this takes a lot of time and effort. Get ready to reach new heights and forge lasting connections doing Indoor Bouldering Adventure this Sunday **at 14:30!** Whether you're a seasoned climber or brand new to the sport, this event is the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself, have fun, and meet fellow enthusiasts in a supportive and social setting. Located at the Bloc Climbing Gym in Ballymount, indoor bouldering social event is suitable for climbers of all levels. No climbing experience? No problem! Our friendly group will provide guidance, tips, and encouragement every step of the way. Whether you're learning or honing your skills, you'll find plenty of support and encouragement from your fellow climbers. After our exhilarating climb, we'll gather for some well-deserved refreshments and socializing, where you can swap climbing stories, share tips, and make new friends with fellow adventure-seekers. So lace up your climbing shoes, chalk up your hands, and get ready for an afternoon of adrenaline-pumping fun and friendship at our Indoor Bouldering Adventure this Sunday! Let's climb, connect, and conquer together. See you there! 🧗‍♀️🤝🧗‍♂️

Hi all, When this trailer first appeared, this got my attention so let’s go to see some crime-solving sheep out to solve a murder this Sunday morning at 11:30 in Cineworld. **[The Sheep Detectives | Official Trailer](https://youtu.be/pyZI5oM6hWk?si=BzNJefzRh-eJfdU0)** We’ll meet for a quick chat and coffee/ breakfast at **Insomnia** on **Abbey Street** at c. 10:30am. Book your seats wherever you wish but many of us sit c. 3 rows from the back.

Hey there, if you're looking to continue learning tennis and have attended some lessons before or have played for a while, this is the perfect lesson for you! It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾 Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇 https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu Other groups are available as follows: 9am: new beginners 11am: women's only beginners 1pm: new beginners 2pm: lower beginners 3pm: upper beginners 4pm: social tennis 5pm: improvers & intermediates

Hey there, if you're looking to get started with tennis or get back into it, this is the perfect lesson for you! It’s pay as you go with each lesson costing €20 with your sixth lesson free, making it €100 for 6 lessons that you can attend occasionally or weekly 🎾 Please join my WhatsApp lessons group chat below 👇 https://chat.whatsapp.com/CKXCPrOmQIcDepGYCZYZXu Other groups are available as follows: 9am: new beginners 11am: women's only beginners 1pm: new beginners 2pm: lower beginners 3pm: upper beginners 4pm: social tennis 5pm: improvers & intermediates

Join DotBitz for an interactive course preview and introduction session designed for students, parents, and aspiring learners interested in programming and future technology careers. During this session, you will learn about: * DotBitz learning programs and course pathways * How students can start learning programming from an early age * Career-focused learning and mentorship opportunities * Real-world skills students can develop through technology education * Future opportunities in software development and technology careers This event is a great opportunity to explore how DotBitz supports students from beginner learning to career readiness in a structured and supportive environment. ### Event Details 📍 Location: Columbus Metropolitan Library 4500 Hickory Chase Way, Hilliard, OH — Meeting Room 2A 📅 Date: May 18, 2026 🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM We welcome students aged 9+, parents, beginners, and anyone interested in learning more about programming education and technology career pathways.

Join us for a practical, beginner-friendly guide to choosing the right large language model. We’ll compare major models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, talk about when to use hosted APIs versus local models, and break down the tradeoffs around cost, speed, quality, privacy, context windows, coding ability, and reliability. You’ll leave with a clearer mental model for picking an LLM based on your actual use case instead of hype, benchmarks, or brand names. No deep AI background required. 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.

Customer identity resolution becomes increasingly complex as organizations scale across multiple systems, regions, and data formats. Traditional rule-based approaches often fail to keep up with data variability, require constant manual tuning, and struggle with real-time processing needs. This session presents a practical approach to building a scalable identity resolution pipeline using AWS services and modern AI techniques. The architecture combines data ingestion through Amazon S3 and AWS Glue, transformation pipelines using Spark on EMR, and machine learning models deployed via SageMaker for entity matching and standardization. Graph-based relationship modeling is implemented using Amazon Neptune to improve resolution accuracy by incorporating household and shared attribute context. We will walk through how machine learning models can be used for name and address normalization, how intelligent blocking strategies improve matching efficiency, and how feedback loops can be introduced to continuously improve accuracy. The session also highlights how serverless components such as AWS Lambda can be used for orchestration and real-time processing. **SPEAKER BIO** Mosaic Syed is a Senior Data Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architect with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions across global enterprise environments. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mosaic-basha-syed-92300856 **CALL FOR SPEAKERS** Learn more: [https://www.awscolumbus.com/get-involved/](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/](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

Join the Columbus AI community for our quarterly gathering — a casual, community-focused evening where everyone has a chance to share, learn, and connect. These open mic–style events give anyone in the community up to **5 minutes** to present a project, share a tool, pose a question, or offer a perspective on the evolving AI space. No slides required — just a welcoming space to exchange ideas and keep the local AI conversation moving. If you’d like to take the stage, message \*\*Chris (the organizer)\*\*with a **title and short description** of what you’d like to share. Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.linkedin.com/company/transformlabs/) Sign up also accessible via [Transform Labs Luma](https://luma.com/transformlabshq)

Practical AI for Power BI Developers A year ago, “agentic AI” was mostly hype for Power BI teams. Today, it deserves your undivided attention. For Power BI pros, there is now a real opportunity to reduce repetitive development work, accelerate delivery, and help developers do more, but only when strong DataOps practices are in place to make AI workflows effective. This session is a no-nonsense introduction to effective AI patterns for Power BI and Fabric development. Along the way, we will make sense of the growing pile of terminology, including skills, plugins, hooks, and MCP. You will see examples of how modern AI tooling can help with development tasks across Power BI and Fabric, along with the prerequisites, guardrails, and DataOps principles needed to use it responsibly. Whether you're burned out on AI hype or already using Copilot CLI daily, this session will show you the foundations that are finally making AI-assisted development genuinely useful.

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.

We will show how to build custom agents with Microsoft Agent Framework. Attendees will learn how to build and custom host agents when Microsoft Foundry is not a viable option.