Most AI events are genuinely worthwhile. Davos, Monaco, Amsterdam. They are also usually worth thousands of euros in tickets and come with a sponsor wall.

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) AI conference in Belgrade was different.

When scientists set the agenda, the rule of zero pitching comes standard. And it takes all conversations to a different level. Whose data trains the model, does it have to leave the building, what happens when two rules collide, and who has the authority to decide? Anyone who read my piece on data sovereignty knows why the first question is particularly important.