prg.ai newsletter #39

👏 Local AI scene news that makes us proud

Test of Time Awards

Tomáš Mikolov from CIIRC CTU and his team received the Test of Time award at the NeurIPS conference for their revolutionary work that has significantly influenced the shape of current large-scale language models. The 2013 paper, “Distributed Representations of Words and Phrases and their Compositionality”, has over 40,000 citations to date, and this work laid the foundation for the vector representation of words known as word2vec.

Trailblazers of AI

Michal Pěchouček, chairman of the executive committee of prg.ai, co-founder and director of AIC FEE CTU, and CTO of Gen, is one of the top 25 AI pioneers. The so-called Trailblazers were selected by the Sprytelabs platform from nearly 500 leading AI companies.

Czech footprint in India

CIIRC CTU continues and expands its cooperation with the Indian university NIMS, where the Mařík Institute of Artificial Intelligence, named after the CIIRC’s scientific director, is currently being built and prepared. The cooperation is of major strategic importance and is seen as opening the door for the Czech engineering community to prospective India, especially in fields such as software engineering and artificial intelligence.

Heartfelt news from Slovakia

IT specialist Mária Bieliková, with whom we have long cooperated, received a state decoration by Slovak President Zuzana. The founder of KInIT (Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies) was awarded the Order of Ľudovít Štúr II Class for her outstanding contribution to the development of the Slovak Republic in the field of science, technology and education.

Towards sustainable regional development

A new prestigious European grant, PoliRuralPlus, uses AI technologies to improve and promote the sustainability of regional development. The newly developed AI is to use data from the European Statistical Office, satellites, climate models or even data on soil composition. The nearly €6 million project has FIT CTU as the main coordinator and involves a total of 20 European partners.

More than just ChatGPT

Watch the recording of the talk by Rudolf Rosa from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University. Rosa focused primarily on introducing the principles and capabilities of current AI tools.

Artificial Intelligence: the promise and the threat 

Petr Koubský, columnist and analyst of information and communication media, opened the topic of artificial intelligence, its opportunities and threats, in a lecture at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University. Koubský is a science and technology editor at Deník N and a prominent figure in the field of science communication and popularisation.

Digital innovation in the Czech literature

The Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics of the MFF UK launches the EduPo project. The aim of the project is to create an interdisciplinary educational tool that will provide a modern interactive introduction to Czech poetry and automatic text generation, and provide new opportunities for digital education in the current media environment.

One step ahead?

Scientists from FEE CTU have developed an AI system for detecting gunfire, determining the shooter’s position and estimating the type of weapon with a 99% success rate. The system, based on a large-scale database of gunshots and neural networks, is designed for military and civilian use, including schools and cities.

How to encrypt network traffic

What is network traffic encryption, what are its drawbacks or tools to monitor it? What is DNS or the Encrypted Client Hello protocol? Find out all this in the latest episode of the Ones and Zeros (Jedničky a Nuly) podcast with Karl Hynek, a member of the Department of Digital Design at FIT CTU.

From Turing Machine to ChatGPT

How did AI start and where has it gone? A cross-section of important AI milestones, key definitions and figures in the field, to the phenomenon of AI manipulation and deepfakes. You can read all this in Matfyz’s article.

Rock high school entrance exams with AI

Educational AI chatbot, EDU AI assistant, offers free preparation for high school entrance exams. The project by Charles University and other partners allows students to chat with AI that guides them through the Czech and maths curriculum.

Words as a tool

As part of the Breakthrough Technologies of the Future programme of the AV 21 Strategy, researchers from the Institute of Information Theory and Automation created a lecture block “Words as a Tool: How Artificial Intelligence Enters Our Lives”. The lecture is ideal for educators, students, technology enthusiasts and anyone interested in the future of education and the role of AI in it.

Successful expedition to Guatemala

A Czechoslovak archaeological team discovered the ancient Mayan city of Yax Balam in Guatemala using AI and LiDAR aerial imaging. With the support of artificial intelligence and neural networks, the scientists managed to obtain detailed visualizations of palaces, statues, ritual remains and astronomical observatories. Sara Polak, a researcher in history within the context of AI technologies at FIT CTU, was also part of the expedition.

Brain in a Can

Czech television has come up with a short documentary Brain in a Can (Mozek v plechovce), hosted by Miloš Čermák with the help of a chatbot. Find out how artificial intelligence is changing various fields and whether it can also create documentaries. Featuring Michal Pěchouček, Tomáš Mikolov, Josef Šivic, Jan Faigl, Radko Sáblík or Vladimír Mařík.

Bilance by Czech Television

A retrospective of the year 2023, marked by the boom of artificial intelligence, was well covered in Bilance by Czech Television. The creators delved into the phenomenon of generative AI, weighing its advantages and disadvantages and addressing concerns about its impact. Guests included Daria Hvízdalová, David Grudl, Tomas Mikolov, Radko Sáblík, and representatives from CIIRC, Jalud Embedded and Kroupalidé.

What to expect this year?

Predictions and summaries of 2023 have appeared across the media. Lupa covers the exaggerated expectations, Forbes writes about the predictions of multimodality of AI systems. Ondřej Vlček, Miroslav Svoboda and Michal Pěchouček spoke to HN about trends for 2024. Czech Television also had a special on the fact that AI will turn into a bigger threat and opportunity this year. Ondřej Vlček, President of Gen Digital, then predicts the ultimate cyber fraud and other challenges associated with artificial intelligence for CT24’s 90′.

The best startups

CzechCrunch has compiled a list of the most interesting startups to follow. It included E2B, Filuta AI, Resistant AI, Rossum and Apify, among others. Also Forbes has created a ranking of the best AI healthcare startups for 2024. It includes, for example, Aireen, Carebot or Maia Labs.

Beautiful numbers in art

Qminers founder Petr Zahradník talks about his love of math and music and art. He and Qminers develop algorithms through which trillions of crowns are traded on stock exchanges around the world. Thus, they are no longer a small player and show that even a Czech company can compete with the established world leaders.

AI in healthcare

Floxgen software accelerates genomic data processing and facilitates the diagnosis of genetic diseases. DNAi is also behind the project, read about the role of AI in healthcare in an interview with CEO Pavel Wimmer.

Cognitive Assistant

Artificial intelligence and the use of large language models was the topic of Science 24. Pavel Klinger from DNAi spoke on the show about the development of a cognitive assistant that brings a new level of communication with customers.

LLMs in the spotlight

Pavel Kordík, co-founder of Recombee, shares AI predictions and developments for 2024, focusing on large language models (LLMs). Pointing out that LLMs will evolve to plan, generalize knowledge, and handle new tasks across various fields, bringing forth many digital personas and assistants. Efforts will focus on improving human-machine interfaces due to current hesitancy in human engagement with natural language interaction with machines.

Efficient public transport with AI

Startup CITYA has transformed public transport in the regions, according to Forbes. The company provides alternative solutions for municipalities where conventional public transport falls short. In addition to the savings, the project is bringing public transport to people who didn’t have access to it thanks to AI.

Not enough AI specialists in companies?

From the importance of AI for the public space, through its implementation with clients, to ethical challenges and strategies for successful integration of AI into corporate structures. Find out all this in an interview with Michal Ambler, AI Lead at consulting firm EY.

We read you Seznam Zprávy

It’s not just for podcast fans that MAMA AI is perfecting article reading for Seznam Zprávy. The collaboration kicked off last spring, when MAMA AI provided SZ with the synthetic voice of the robot Jana. Currently, SZ have several voices of their own and are aiming to create 30-40 audio articles per day.

The next-generation AI

Rossum launches next-generation AI ‘Rossum Aurora‘ for better document understanding and complex automation. The system is built on a proprietary transactional large language model (T-LLM), whose main purpose is to learn faster and achieve higher accuracy.

How to tackle bank statement fraud?

In their article, Resistant AI presents the issue of bank statement fraud and what the consequences can be if you fall for fake bank statements. Introducing also effective strategies for detecting and preventing bank statement fraud.

A new AI colleague?

A new report from KPMG provides a list of steps to achieve better business results with AI. The survey also offers actionable guidance on implementing AI in your firm.

AI implemented by one third of EU companies

Data fuels our partner Amazon’s research activities and they don’t keep it to themselves. In a recent independent report, AWS and Strand Partners chart the adoption of AI in European companies. The report presents the economic potential of using AI, the digital skills of Europeans, or perhaps the obstacles faced by SMEs in particular.

How to integrate AI in companies?

Blindspot AI co-founder Ondřej Vaněk was a guest of the latest episode of the Adastra podcast. He spoke on how large companies should approach working with AI, what it can achieve and what its limitations are, or how to integrate AI in your company.

Danger recognition with AI

Jalud Embedded offers AI-enabled sound detectors for security cameras that can detect screams, shattering glass, gunshots or explosions. This enables a quick response to emergencies.

Blindspot AI has a new CTO

Since January, Petr Zelenka is the new CTO of Blindpost AI. But he is no newcomer, Petr has been part of the team for seven years and has gradually worked his way up from software architect to one of the lead positions.

🎭 Events we’re excited about

9 Feb – Are you interested in studying at FIT CTU? The Open Day is an ideal opportunity for you to find out what studying at FIT is really like.

12 Feb – Artificial Intelligence in Journalism – Václav Moravec’s talk will explain what artificial intelligence can bring to modern journalism.

13 Feb – ML Meets Machine – Lukáš Hodec and Marek Šebo will discuss how to design industrial inspection robots that can detect defects in industrially produced goods. 

14 Feb – For those interested in Ph.D. studies FIT CTU has prepared Ph.D. DOD – online Open Day.

20 Feb – Mastering Generative AI: ChatGPT’s Business Revolution – Webinar on how to master generative AI. Jiří Čermák will guide you through the world of generative AI.

20 Feb – data+vis meetup –  Talking about data, its visualization and communication. Once every two months, in Brno.

20 Feb – GoodMeetup #4: The Modern Frontend: UX, AI, and Beyond – Learn about the relationship between front-end development and UX or how to integrate generative AI from a front-end developer’s perspective.

22 Feb – The Art of Smart – Full-day program of presentations, panel discussions and personal meetings with top experts in the field of artificial intelligence, data and business.

22 Feb – DATA mesh #18 by Apify – Another in a series of DATA mesh meet ups, this time hosted by Apify.

23 Feb – Are you interested in studying at FEE CTU? The Open Day is an ideal opportunity for you to find out what studying at FEE is really like.

26 Feb – IT Evenings: what’s new in AI and what’s coming in 2024 – Want to be prepared for what’s coming in artificial intelligence (AI) in 2024? Come to Pavel Kordík’s lecture.

27 Feb – KPMG Business Breakfast – What security threats does AI pose? Come to the regular KPMG business breakfast, this time on the topic of security.

29 Feb – FIN (R)Evoluce 2024: AI and data in the world of finance – AI in the world of finance, digitalization of the financial sector, security risks and cybersecurity, technology and new trends in payments.

29 Feb – HPE Data Science & AI workshop – Practically oriented workshops to help you understand the challenges and solutions to successfully implement AI projects in your organization.

29 Feb – On-line open day for those interested in Master’s studies at FEL CTU.

5 Mar – Truesdays – regular meetups for tech & business – every first Tuesday of the month.

You can find all the events we find interesting in our Google Calendar.

🧩 Stuff that interests us

Contemporary Translation

• The global AI translation technology company DeepL has published a report (PDF) on the current state of translation and localisation. It analyses a survey of global marketers who are involved in translation and localisation in their organisations. It also presents the return on investment (ROI) in AI-powered writing and machine translation tools.

I write about science

• Pavla Hubálková, a science editor who focuses on science communication and popularization, comes up with her own newsletter, I Write About Science. In it, she summarizes the most interesting things happening in the world of science.

Green light for AI

• The European Commission has unveiled its AI innovation package! This will support European startups and SMEs to develop trustworthy AI in line with EU values and rules.

📢 Community calls

Kickstart Prague with us again!

• The annual innovative marathon Nakopni Prahu is coming up. The aim is to kickstart the innovation culture in Prague and generate ideas that will enhance sustainability and quality of life. Registered teams will receive top-notch project support from experienced mentors and fair share of feedback from the judges. The most successful ones will get not only a polished technology product but also attractive prize money! Last year we sponsored the prg.ai & CEE Hacks award. We are a proud partner again this year and look forward to all your visions, hacks and improvements! Register by March 7!

Literary competition

• Only until February 29 you can submit your short story to the contest “Přicházejí z-AI-mavé časy.” Remember, it must be created using AI and in the genre of science fiction, fantasy or horror. 

The AI-BOOST deadline is coming up!

• The EU-funded AI-BOOST project has launched its first competition – the Large AI Grand Challenge for SMEs and startups. The deadline for applications is February 13!

Start-it @ ČSOB

• Start it @ ČSOB is now opening the next round of the accelerator program, this time in cooperation with Mastercard. The Fintech challenge is aimed at CEE startups. You can participate if you are a startup under two years old with a focus on innovative solutions such as optimization, AI, robotics, etc. for the world of finance. You’ll get support from mentors, connections to investors, help with legal analysis and licensing, or perhaps a series of hands-on workshops. Register by March 28.

Technology Olympiad

• AI, electromobility and cybersecurity. Technology Olympiad 2024 invites high school students to compete in the most current trends. The winning team will receive a financial prize of CZK 30,000 and the opportunity to get into the FEE CTU without taking the entrance exam. High school and grammar school students can register until 20 March.

💼 Open job positions

Artificial Intelligence Center FEE CTU

• Phd in system identification – CoDiet project 
• PhD in Game Theory
• Ph.D. Positions on the Tenors Project at AIC’s Partner Universities

FEE CTU

• PhD student for topic “Learning Quantized Neural Networks and Discrete Representations”

Apify

• AI Product Marketing Manager
• AI/LLM Engineer

Citya

• React Developer
• R&D Engineer
• DevOps Engineer
• .Net/C# Backend Developer

Datamole

• Project Manager for data & AI solutions
• Senior Backend Developer
• Senior Data & AI Consultant
• Senior Data Scientist
• Data-Oriented Python Developer
• Senior Full-Stack Developer
• Technical Project Manager
• Data Scientist

DataSentics

• Python Data Engineer
• Data Scientist
• Machine Learning Engineer
• Senior Finance Specialist

DNAi

• Junior Delivery/Project Manager
• Senior/medior/junior Java developer
• Senior/medior/junior react programátor

Gen

• AI Research Intern
• Principal (Java) Software Engineer
• Python Developer – Threat Analysis

MAMA AI

• AI Conversation Designer

Phrase

• Senior Platform Engineer

Qminers

• Junior Python Developer
• Quantitative Analyst

Recombee

• Python Developer

Rossum

• Senior Backend Engineer (Python)
• Solution Architect
• Onboarding Manager Team Lead

EY

• AI Engineer – Advanced Analytics Team

KPMG

• Ethical Hacker

Valeo

• System Engineer
• Cyber Security Validation Engineer
• R&D Mechatronic Technical Project Manager
• Mechatronic Project Manager
• Cybersecurity Technical Leader

Zentiva

• AI Project Specialist

Czechitas

• Help educate women in AI

Pražský inovační institut

• Project and Finance Manager – Prague Smart Accelerator+

Technologická gramotnost

• Lector