Rise of AI

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the #AI enthusiast in your life? Look no further! The Rise of AI Merchandise Shop is now ready for Christmas! Show your love for AI and support the Rise of AI community with our range of products, from hoodies to mugs and tote bags. Whether you're part of the ecosystem or are simply passionate about Europe's AI future, wear your support with pride! Smart gifts for smart people — they're sure to spark conversation at your next conference, Zoom call or family dinner! 🔥 Limited 10th anniversary edition – the perfect Christmas gift! 🔥 Check out the shop here: https://lnkd.in/epHmUWHf Don't forget: Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Get your ticket for Rise of AI 2026 here: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw Follow our LinkedIn community Rise of AI Connect with Veronika Westerheide & Fabian J. G. Westerheide Westerheide #RiseofAI #AIEcosystem #AIChristmas #AICommunity #AIForEurope #ImageGeneratedByNanoBanana

📚 Reading season: Slow down, catch up and think ahead. December is the perfect time to slow down, take a step back and reflect. What better way to do that than by exploring the ideas of the people shaping Europe’s AI journey? Many members of the Rise of AI community have published books sharing their thoughts. Their work offers insights and preparation for the deeper conversations that will take place in May. Here’s a recommended reading list for the quiet weeks ahead: Dr. Wolfgang Hildesheim: Künstliche Intelligenz managen und verstehen Kenza Ait Si Abbou: Menschenversteher Prof. Dr. Katja Nettesheim: KI-Kompetenz: Für eine Zukunft in Wohlstand Prof. Dr. Hans Uszkoreit: IT für soziale Inklusion Prof. Dr. Sabina Jeschke: Innovation im Dienste der Gesellschaft Tina Kluewer: Zukunft made in Germany Kai Zenner: KI-VO: Leitfaden für die Praxis Dr. Léa Steinacker (mit Dr. Miriam Meckel): Alles überall auf einmal Tim Cortinovis: Agentic Sales Fabian J. G. Westerheide: Die KI-Nation: Zwischen Dystopie und Utopie These are thoughtful, grounded perspectives, not buzzwords. A useful foundation for what's coming at #RoAI2026. Have you read any of these books? Which book has shaped your thinking on AI? #AIReadingList #RiseOfAI #AIInEurope #RoAI2026 #ThoughtLeadership #SlowDecember #AIConference #DeepThinking

“𝙒𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢: 𝙀𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙄.' – Fabian J. G. Westerheide, Rise of AI, 2016 Ten years later, this vision has become a meeting point for Europe’s AI leaders from the worlds of technology, policy, research and business. On 5–6 May 2026, we will gather again in Berlin. 300 people. Two days. One focused conversation on Europe’s AI path. ⚠️ Early Bird tickets end on 31 December ⚠️ The Early Bird Premium Pass, which includes the black tie gala dinner, has already 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧. Still available: 🎟 Early Bird Singularity Pass – € 980.54 (including VAT and fees) ➡ Regular price: € 1,223.30 💸 Save over € 240 if you book before 31 December! - Full access on 6th May to all stages and formats - Workshops, networking and catering - Streaming and access to all recordings - Entry to the Rise of AI alumni network ⏳ Limited availability. Prices increase on 1 January — or when sold out. If you belong in the room, don't wait! 🎟 Reserve your ticket now -> https://lnkd.in/e2FVcRzZ 💬 Been with us before? Share your favourite #RoAI moment in the comments. #RoAI2026 #AIinEurope #ExecutiveNetworking #AIConference

🎥 244 expert talks. One channel. All AI. For over a decade, Rise of AI has brought together the brightest minds in artificial intelligence. Now, we’re opening the vault. Dive into our YouTube archive containing 244 exclusive videos featuring leading AI researchers, founders, policymakers, investors and thought leaders from Europe and beyond. Whether you're interested in AGI, AI ethics, quantum computing, or AI in business, this is the place to learn, be inspired, and stay ahead. Explore now: https://lnkd.in/e543u46V Which session inspired you the most? Share your favourite in the comments! Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Get your ticket for Rise of AI 2026: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw. Follow our LinkedIn community and connect with Veronika and Fabian J. G. Westerheide Westerheide. #AIConference #RiseofAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AILeaders #AITalks #GenAI #EUAI #AIEducation

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻, 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 After two years of silence, Fabian and Veronika Westerheide made a clear decision: 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. In 2022, Rise of AI returned — not with spectacle, but with purpose. We started small on purpose, holding an invite-only event for around 200 guests and focusing on quality over quantity. And it worked. People didn’t just attend; they engaged. The conversations were more insightful, and the energy returned. There was less noise and more people who actually build #AI in Europe. CTOs, policymakers, researchers, investors and founders were all present. Not just voices talking about AI, but minds shaping its future. From 2023 to 2025, the conference grew organically. Each year, around 300 participants were carefully selected to facilitate meaningful exchanges. We introduced new formats, such as: 💡 Meet the Policymakers — off-camera and invitation-only; 💡 Cognitive Lab — a playground for fresh ideas; 💡 AI Woman, curated by Claudia Pohlink, amplifying diverse voices in tech. There were no filler panels. No random press. Just real conversations that move things forward. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁. In 2026, we will celebrate 10 years of Rise of AI — a decade of connection, collaboration and ideas that have shaped Europe’s AI ecosystem. Follow Rise of AI on LinkedIn. Get your ticket today — only 300 seats are available! - https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw. 📨 Sign up for updates: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Connect with Veronika Westerheide and Fabian J. G. Westerheide Westerheide. #RiseofAI #AIConference #AICommunity #TechLeadership #10YearsOfRise #AIEcosystem #KIÖkosystem #KIIndustrie Seen in the video: Mario Brandenburg, Daria Saharova (World Fund), Dr. Ursula Feindor-Schmidt, LL.M., Lara Sophie Bothur, Kathleen Schroeter (ootiboo CIC), Nicolas Flores Herr, Petra Vorsteher, Tina Kluewer, Peter Sarlin (AMD Silo AI), Jonas Andrulis (Aleph Alpha), Amira Gutmann-Trieb, Marian Glaeser, Kenza Ait Si Abbou, Jürgen Schmidhuber, Dr. Fabian Mehring, Ulrike Franke, PhD, Michael Vetter, Larissa Holzki, Gary Abela

2020–2021: The Reset: The Resolve. In early 2020, we were ready to expand. A full week of AI events. Our flagship Rise of AI conference was set to welcome 2,000 guests. Everything was booked. Everything was built. And then: C🦠vid. Live events were cancelled overnight. Our entire business model? Paused. But we didn’t stop. We adapted. We evolved. We kept building. In autumn 2020, we launched the Rise of AI Summit, which was broadcast from two newly constructed studios. Two thousand people joined us online. Twenty speakers and crew were on site. Five guests sat in cinema seats with popcorn, masks and hope. Someone asked, “Why are we still doing this?” The answer: 'Because it still matters.'" It was quiet. It was surreal. And it was deeply human. 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲. Some partners showed up when it mattered. Others didn’t. Some teams stood tall. Others faded away. Even then, we continued to support the AI ecosystem, not just through our own event. In 2020, we planned to launch the first Berlin AI Week, connecting events across the city. It never happened, but the idea lived on. Out of that vision grew something bigger: the German AI Month mAI (KI-Deutschland.de). What we took with us: ✅ Run lean. ✅ Focus on people. ✅ Build formats that work — online, offline and under pressure. What started in a studio became our blueprint for the future. Join the next chapter: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw. 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Follow Rise of AI on LinkedIn and connect with Veronika Westerheide and Fabian J. G. Westerheide Westerheide. #RiseofAI #AILeadership #AIEvents #10YearsOfRiseofAI #GermanAIMonth #AIEcosystem #TrustInTech #MadeInEurope #KIKonferenz Thanks for your friendship: Vanessa Cann, Dorothee Bär, 🇪🇺🇺🇦Marcel 'Otto' YON, Christian Guttmann, Christian Kloevekorn ,Willi Gerbig, Jesse Lehrke, Dr. Andreas Liebl, Adrian Locher ,Ulrike Franke, PhD, Rasmus Rothe

What began with ten people became a full-blown movement. By 2016, we realised that the meetups weren’t enough anymore. The questions had become more significant. The interest was broader. The energy needed more space. So we took a leap of faith. Fabian reached out to Veronika Westerheide, and together, we launched the first full-day Rise of AI Conference at the Deutsches Technikmuseum. It sold out quickly. It sent a clear message: Europe needed a public space for serious conversations about AI. By 2017, we had moved to Deutsche Telekom’s Hauptstadtrepräsentanz. There was more room, more guests and more ambition. By 2019, we had grown from one stage to four and welcomed nearly 1,000 participants. But we didn’t stop there. We introduced AI World, our own AI exhibition format, which was a curated space where startups, corporations, and researchers showcased real AI solutions. It wasn’t just about visibility; it was about bringing prototypes, use cases and partnerships together in one place. People connected not only through talks, but also by seeing, touching, and testing what was possible. However, for us, it was never just about numbers or formats. What mattered was how the ecosystem around us changed — and changed with us. Our audience evolved: It expanded from a core group of researchers and engineers to include founders, investors, policymakers, corporate leaders and CTOs. The tone shifted too, evolving from demos to debates and from theory to decision-making. How can we govern responsibly? Can European research lead to European products? How can we compete globally without copying others? The Rise of AI Conference became more than a conference. It became a working meeting point for the European AI ecosystem. It is a space where builders, founders and regulators meet — publicly, honestly and purposefully. These years have taught us something important: 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱. 🎟️ 10 years later, we’re still asking the hard questions. Join the next chapter: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw 📩 Sign up for the newsletter: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL 🤝 Follow Rise of AI on LinkedIn 👥 Connect with Veronika Westerheide & Fabian J. G. Westerheide #RiseofAI #EuropeAI #AILeadership #10YearsOfRise #AIConference #AIWorld #AIEcosystem

🛠 Making AI tangible — beyond the stage Let's be honest: working with AI can be overwhelming right now. There's a new tool, framework or promise every week. We meet many people who ask, 'Where do we start?' How can we implement it across teams, not just in presentations? That’s where we come in. At Rise of AI, we don’t just host an annual conference. We spend the rest of the year helping companies and organisations integrate AI into their decision-making processes. We have supported AI Days, internal offsites, client events and leadership workshops. Here’s what we’ve learned: It works best when everyone is in the room: IT, Legal, Ops and Strategy. It helps when people can ask questions without worrying about saying the 'wrong' thing. It also moves faster when someone helps you cut through the noise. We’re not consultants. We don't engage in hype. We’re part of the AI ecosystem, and we help you connect what’s happening out there to what matters in here. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: 🧠 We find the right voices for your needs — people who actually work with AI. ✍ We help you design an agenda that fits your questions, not ours. 🤝 We make space for honest dialogue across teams and levels. 📋 We help shape the guest list — who’s in the room makes the difference. 📅 And yes, we also handle the event planning from start to finish. It's also important to note that if we don't have the answer, we probably know someone who does. We work closely with people and companies who solve real AI problems, from technology to policy to implementation. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻? - When you want your people to understand AI without jargon. - When you’re ready to move from 'we should' to 'here's how'. - Or when you just want a fresh perspective from someone outside the usual loop. Are you planning your own AI event, leadership workshop or internal session? Let’s talk. Or join us in person next May at Rise of AI 2026 — our 10-year anniversary. 🎟️ Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw 📩 Sign up to stay in the loop: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL 👥 Connect with Veronika & Fabian J. G. Westerheide Westerheide 🤝 Follow the Rise of AI community on LinkedIn #RiseofAI #AIWorkshops #AILeadership #AIEcosystem #10YearsOfRise #AIEvent

𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Rise of AI Conference, we are sharing our story: a brief summary of how the Berlin AI community evolved into a European platform. 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰–𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 It all began when Fabian realised that science fiction was becoming a reality and that AI would transform the way we live and work. In 2014, he started talking to researchers and developers across Berlin and set up Asgard Capital to support the first wave of AI entrepreneurs. It was never just theory. It was about people, ideas and momentum. Those first evenings were small and intimate. The very first meet-up (called Berliner Futuristen) at C-Base attracted around ten people, mostly nerds, hackers and researchers. Then it became fifty. Then two hundred. We rotated between c-base, hubraum and betahaus. The crowd came to test assumptions, debate ethics, demonstrate neural networks, and discuss AGI over beer. It was hands-on, exploratory and very Berlin. By 2015, it was clear that this was more than just a side project. The community needed a home, and Europe needed a place for serious public conversations about AI. Before there was a conference, there was a group of people learning together and inviting others to join them. Those first meetups weren’t about hype. They were about curiosity, trust, and people staying long after the lights went off — not to pitch, but to understand. 🧭 Lᴇꜱꜱᴏɴ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ: If you’re building a tech community today, start with shared curiosity. Not hype. Keep it small and real, and let it grow on its own terms. Want to see where it all leads? Join us in 2026: https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw. Subscribe for insights and invites: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Follow our community on LinkedIn and connect with Veronika and Fabian J. G. Westerheide. #RiseofAI #AIHistory #AIConference #EuropeAI #10YearsOfRise #AIEcosystem

🇩🇪 How Germany is becoming an AI nation. 🇩🇪 🔊 Meet Fabian on 21 October at the AI.Summit 2025 in Hamburg, where he will share exactly how 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and explain which priorities should be given the highest priority so that policymakers, industry leaders and researchers can work together effectively. The thesis of his book KI-Nation (https://amzn.to/4kAcoo5) and his keynote is simple: Europe — and especially Germany — must dare to forge its own path in AI. 💬 What readers of Fabian's book say: "A wake-up call for Germany — clear vision and concrete actions." — Steffen “For beginners and pros alike — finally, AI explained with clarity.” — Andreas “A comprehensive tour d'horizon — engaging and accessible.” — Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg “The best German AI book for non-techies — and for IT folks who want the big picture.” — Elias “A must-read if you care about Germany’s digital future.” — Stefanie Want more than just pages? Meet us in Hamburg on 21 October or at the Rise of AI Conference in Berlin next year. 🎫 Tickets AI.Summit Hamburg: https://lnkd.in/eKf7G8Er 🎫 Rise of AI Conference tickets (5–6 May, Humboldt Carré, Berlin): https://lnkd.in/eCZTy-Uw 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/RoAI_NL Follow our LinkedIn community and connect with Veronika and Fabian J. G. Westerheide #KINation #AIMadeInGermany #DigitalSovereignty #RiseofAI #AINation