More than 30 data science leaders, innovators and researchers have been confirmed as speakers at DataTech20, a technology-focused conference which forms part of DataFest, the UK’s largest data festival being held in Scotland in March. Exploring emerging technologies in the data science industry, the speakers will take to the stage at the Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow on 16th March 2020 – sharing their knowledge and expertise on a wide range of topics from machine learning and robotics to satellite data, deep learning and tools for automated reported With over 30 sessions taking place during the DataTech20 conference, highlights from the agenda include ‘Hacking R as a script kiddie’, a session which will identify the relatively easy hacks that can be performed to access systems; as well as an exploratory session revealing the underlying technology used to teach machines how to talk. Other highlights include a presentation by Ethical Intelligence Founder & CEO Olivia Gambelin and Head of Technology, Amanda Cercas Curry which will reinforce the need for collaboration between data scientists and ethicists when it comes to understanding the ethical implications of data processing. The full line-up of speakers will join two already confirmed keynotes, Erin LeDell, Chief Machine Learning Specialist, H20.ai, who will discuss the future of automatic machine learning; and Janelle Shane, Scientist and Writer for aiweirdness.com, who will analyse what we can learn from machine learning gone wrong. And, new to the agenda this year will be a series of workshops including an interactive tutorial exploring both the challenges and opportunities that Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents for healthcare applications. Caterina Constantinescu, Data Scientist at The Data Lab, said: “Preparations are ramping up ahead of this year’s DataTech20 event, which promises to be bigger, more successful and more collaborative than last year, with an innovative agenda in place, including a series of technical presentations and a fantastic line-up of speakers who will deliver discussions on salient topics in the data science industry from conversational AI, anomaly detection, and complex modelling to data workflows and more. “Our full line-up of speakers will make excellent additions to the conference, and we are looking forward to welcoming them to DataTech and listening to the emerging research they are carrying out in the field of data science – as well as exploring their takes on the potential beyond currently existing data technologies and techniques.” Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, DataTech20 will bring together technical communities, practitioners and academics working on similar challenges across different sectors to share emerging research, knowledge and expertise as well as providing a platform to forge new collaborations. Now in its fourth year, DataFest, which is run by The Data Lab, Scotland’s Innovation Centre for data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), has grown to become a key calendar event for professionals working in data and AI across the UK and beyond, with last year’s festival attracting more than 4,000 visitors. This year’s key theme ‘#BeyondData’ will discuss the impact data and AI are having on the world today as well as exploring the future potential of the sector to help realise innovation across business and wider society, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities that both data and AI present. Running from the 9th to 20th March 2020 across Scotland, the festival will also see the return of a range of successful events, including Women in Data Science, an inspirational showcase for school children on data careers, Data Talent Scotland, the networking and recruitment event for industry and academia, and a host of fringe activities including STEM-related events. For more information on all the speakers, visit: https://www.datafest.global/data-tech