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prg.ai newsletter #51

Our next newsletter will present a nationwide mapping of the Czech AI scene and offer participation in AI Days 2025, giving you a chance to influence the European AI strategy. We're also excited to welcome a new member, look back at our community breakfast, and share our recent commentary in Wired and Respect. We'll also cover our past and future engagements, showcase local AI success stories, and provide a round-up of interesting events. Enjoy the read!

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🔥 AI at the heart of the action

Mapping the Czech AI Scene: Join the National Overview!

Under the umbrella of the Czech National AI Platform (CNAIP), we are launching a nationwide mapping of the Czech AI landscape. Building upon previous local databases for Prague and Brno. The goal is to create the first comprehensive overview of Czech AI providers, complemented by an analysis of growth, trends, challenges, and ambitions. By participating, you will gain visibility in the official public database, help showcase the potential of the Czech AI scene, and improve orientation within the ecosystem. The survey is intended for companies developing ML/AI solutions (including custom development, SaaS, tools, infrastructure, consulting, education, and governance/compliance services). The deadline for completing the questionnaire in Czech or English is May 30, 2025. Join us via the provided link and help spread the word!

Get Involved in Days of AI 2025: Make the Program with Us!

If you are interested in organizing an event within the framework of Days of AI 2025 in Czechia, please fill out the application form and become part of a nationwide initiative focused on presenting artificial intelligence in the context of current developments and practical applications across various fields. Days of AI offer engaging content for companies, public institutions, academics, and the general public, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of AI. Sponsorship opportunities are also available – contact us for more information.

Form Europe’s AI Strategy: Participate in Public Consultations!

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing science and business – and now you have the chance to influence Europe’s direction in this field. Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council, encourages scientists, entrepreneurs, and experts to participate in the European Commission’s public consultations on the “AI in Science” (RAISE) and “Apply AI Strategy” for small businesses. Each form takes only about 15 minutes to complete, but your opinion can impact the future of European research and business for years to come. The deadlines for submissions are June 5th (AI in Science) and June 4th (Apply AI Strategy).

🏡 What’s new at prg․ai

We have new industry members!

We are pleased to welcome Stratox among our industry members. Stratox helps companies turn AI ideas into real, working products, focusing on safety, speed, and scalability. Their work is inspired by the Cloud Native AI principles from CNCF, building AI systems from small, secure, and reusable parts, similar to NVIDIA’s AI microservices and agents. This approach enables businesses to adopt AI without the chaos. Stratox joined PRG AI to help shape how AI changes business and to contribute to the Czech Republic becoming a leader in technological innovation by connecting with sharp minds.

Successful Industry Talk at Profinit

The latest Industry Talk for students of our prg.ai Minor program took place at Profinit. Dominik Matula, Senior Data Scientist, gave an engaging presentation on building reliable LLM applications and how to move from simply hoping to effective testing. Attendees learned why conventional approaches fail and what alternative methods exist for testing the outputs of language models. Key takeaways included the difficulty of assessing the accuracy of AI responses, the ineffectiveness of traditional methods, and practical demonstrations of testing LLM outputs. The talk was followed by a networking session with refreshments.

Our series of commentaries for Wired continues

As part of our collaboration with Wired, we have another commentary, this time by Petr Baudiš of Rossum. He warns against over-expectations about universal AI agents. He also explains that current AI models lack key characteristics such as deep expertise, diligence and domain knowledge, which can lead to problems when deploying them in complex business processes. Instead, it highlights the importance of dedicated AI agents that focus on specific tasks and where their scope of action is clearly defined. 

Our Community Breakfast

Another regular breakfast for our members and partners took place in April in the beautiful setting of Kampus Hybernská. Thank you to everyone who attended – it was great to see so many familiar (and new!) faces together. During the meeting, we shared experiences, news from the AI world, and future plans, further connecting new ideas and strengthening our community. We appreciate your participation and look forward to the next gathering!

Our Director in Respekt

Our director Lukáš Kačena and other experts discussed in Týdeník Respekt what to study in the age of artificial intelligence. They agree that no field of study will become obsolete, but many will undergo transformation. The key is to integrate AI into education and learn how to work with it. Lukáš Kačena emphasizes that the ability to work with AI is becoming part of every graduate’s digital literacy. Read the opinions of other experts, such as Senta Čermáková from Czechitas, the Deputy Minister of Education, and AI archaeologist Sara Polak.

We Have Finalists of Nakopni Prahu 2025

Congratulations to the ten teams advancing to the finals of the Nakopni Prahu 2025 innovation marathon! For the third time, we will award a special prize to the best project leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. The winning team will receive $1,500 USD in Amazon Web Services credits to support their innovative vision. We look forward to the final presentations in May and the impact these projects will have on Prague.

Where We Met

Our Lukáš attended the ninth meetup of our partners Brno.AI. The event offered a dynamic format of short presentations (120 seconds) of AI projects and products, followed by networking. The aim was to inspire participants, showcase the Brno AI ecosystem, and foster new collaborations. Lukáš had the opportunity to connect with key players in the Brno AI scene.

Lukáš Kačena, participated as a speaker and panelist at the Czech-Slovak EPALE 2025 conference. The conference focused on the timely topic of artificial intelligence in adult education. Lukáš delivered a presentation on AI in the context of the Czech labor market and subsequently took part in a panel discussion with other experts. The conference also included practical workshops and discussions on the legal aspects and application of AI in teaching methods.

Where to Meet Us

Spring is here, bringing a fresh dose of AI inspiration! We invite you to the May AI Tinkerers Prague meetup on May 13th, where those who truly create with AI come together. Look forward to real-world demos, prototypes, and practical lessons – without pitches or fluff. Main speakers include Ben McCulloch on indexing YouTube videos with AI, Richard Mladek on E2B: LLMs playing Counter-Strike, Daria Hvizdalova on AI-first education: the Korean case, Petr Brzek on accidentally creating a vibe coding tool, and Petr Kubes on AI applications for language learning. Expect practical demos, open experience sharing, and a great community of AI enthusiasts. We start at 6:00 PM. 

Join us for a full-day interactive workshop “AI in Everyday Life: Awareness, Ethics & Practical Use“ designed to explore how artificial intelligence impacts your daily life—and how to engage with it critically, ethically, and effectively. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or already using AI tools, this workshop is for you! Your lecturer will be Maria Sahakyan, a postdoctoral researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi. The workshop will take place on May 14th.

We will be participating in the Trendy Práce Summit 2025, taking place on May 22nd–23rd in Prague. This two-day event connects leaders from HR, technology, and education to discuss the future of work in the age of digitalization and artificial intelligence. On the second day of the summit, our director Lukáš Kačena will participate in a panel discussion together with one of the founders, Michal Pěchouček. We look forward to insightful discussions and meetings with experts shaping the future of the labor market.

This year we’re continuing our partnership with WebExpo, the leading Central European conference for web development, design, product management, and marketing. Come and get inspired by top experts from around the globe on May 28th and 29th in Prague! We have secured an exclusive discount code PRGAI25 for our community, offering you a 20% discount on conference tickets and bundle tickets. We look forward to seeing you there!

Are you ready to change the world? We’re proud partners of GreenHack 2025, taking place on May 30–31 in Prague, offering a unique opportunity to work on real-world sustainability challenges. Join us and contribute your ideas in areas like sustainable energy, green mobility, circular economy, and sustainable AI. Register your team or apply individually by May 20th!

Join the HPE AI Roadshow with NVIDIA in Prague on June 3rd! Discover how generative AI is transforming businesses and explore hybrid models for enterprise AI. Experience live demos of NVIDIA AI Computing by HPE and hear inspiring examples of AI deployments at Czech companies from our local partners. This conference is for IT managers, AI specialists, data scientists, and solution architects. Also our Lukáš is one of the speakers! Most presentations will be in English. 

The first annual Czech-Slovak Legal Innovation Day conference is approaching, focused on the practical application of artificial intelligence in the legal field. We have an exclusive 30% discount for our community with the code prg-ai-lid. The conference takes place on June 6 at the DAP Hotel in Prague and online. Don’t miss presentations of concrete AI solutions, expert opinions from law and technology, and a panel discussion. Take advantage of this opportunity for networking and gain insights into the latest trends in legal tech. Featuring Martin Vlasta from our partners Advokátní asociace pro AI (Lawyers Association for AI).

👏 Local AI scene news that makes us proud

Czech Team Scores at World Autonomous Drone Racing Competition

The Multi-robotic Systems (MRS) Group team from the FEE CTU and Fly4Future achieved remarkable success at the prestigious Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) in Abu Dhabi. Competing against 210 teams globally, they reached the final four in all disciplines and won a bronze medal in the drag race, which aims for maximum autonomous flight speed.

Oncology Hackathon

Students from the FEE CTU achieved a remarkable double victory at the Rakathon 2025 healthcare hackathon focused on oncology. The Pixel Predators team won the main prize for their innovative RadioProtect solution enhancing radiotherapy safety, while the Committed to Care team received the Hackers’ Award for their RadMan system optimizing PET scan scheduling. Students from the FIT CTU have created a tool designed to help doctors predict the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients after the initial diagnosis. For this achievement, they received 3rd place and the Novartis award at Rakathon 2025.

New Czech Semiconductor Centre

The FEE CTU is a major academic partner of the newly established Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC) in Brno. The centre aims to connect academic research with industry and strengthen Czech and European technological self-sufficiency in the semiconductor field.

On AI Risks and Reading Faces 

In an interview with Lucie Výborná, cyberneticist Jiří Matas from CTU questions whether artificial intelligence is the foremost danger to humanity. He argues that there are far more perilous scenarios, such as genetic enhancements of humans or uncontrolled biological mutations. The interview also explores the extent to which technology can analyze our faces and delves into the concept of the Great Mother. 

All About Quantum Information

Tune in to the latest episode of the Units and Zeros podcast featuring Ing. Ivo Petr from FIT CTU discussing the fascinating field of quantum information. Learn about quantum algorithms, how quantum computing works, and why you should enroll in the new Quantum Information study program at FIT CTU.

AI Applications in Design

Experts from the FIT CTU professionally contributed to the creation of the new educational publication “AI Applications in Design.” Their role was to ensure the technical accuracy and clarity of this guide for students in creative fields seeking to use artificial intelligence tools effectively and responsibly.

App Helps Understand Foreign Language Songs

Daniil Myronov, a student at the FIT CTU, has developed an application that helps users understand song lyrics in foreign languages. The app assists users in expanding their vocabulary, and Daniil received the Dean’s Award for the winter semester of 2024/2025 for his work.

Legal Aspects of AI and Robotics

Conference on “Legal Aspects of AI and Robotics” is taking place on May 29, 2025, at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics. Led by prominent experts Prof. Vladimír Mařík and Prof. Vladimír Smejkal, you will gain insights into the latest technological trends and legal challenges presented by AI and autonomous systems.

Funding for AI, Quantum Computing, and Neuroscience Advancement

The CLARA Centre, focused on the synergy of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and neuroscience research, has secured crucial funding totaling 1.057 billion Czech crowns to modernize its facilities. The European Union contributed nearly 15 million euros through the Horizon Europe program, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT) has now approved complementary funding of almost 700 million crowns from the OP JAK program for laboratory upgrades in Prague, Brno, and Ostrava.

Bridging Humanities and Digital Technologies

Jiří Kocián and colleagues from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University established the Research Centre for the Integration of Digital Humanities and collaborated with the Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. This partnership highlights the necessity and benefit of connecting seemingly disparate academic fields in the age of digital technologies.

Diagnosing Eye Diseases and Alzheimer’s

The team of Elena Šikudová from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics is developing cutting-edge machine learning methods to simplify the diagnosis of glaucoma, corneal pathologies, and the early detection of cognitive decline in patients suspected of having Alzheimer’s disease.

New Method Speeds Up Neural Network Testing

Samuel Mintál, a graduate of informatics at Matfyz (Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at CUNI), focused his master’s thesis on smart shortcuts – methods that can quickly assess the quality of a neural network without extensive training. The result of his research is a novel approach that can significantly save time and computational power in artificial intelligence development.

Female Scientist Shatters Myths About Informatics

Dive into the world of computational linguistics with doctoral student Patrícia Schmidtová from the Informatics Section of Matfyz. Read about her journey to informatics, her fascinating research on language models, and how she connects theory with practice. Be inspired by the stories of other young female scientists who prove that informatics is for everyone.

ELLIS Online Workshop: Advances in Natural Language Processing and Speech Recognition

The ELLIS Unit Prague and the ELLIS Associate Unit Lviv are co-organizing an online workshop to discuss recent scientific advances in natural language processing and speech recognition. The event will take place on June 4, 2025 via ZOOM. The agenda features presentations by leading experts such as Iryna Gurevych, Barbara Plank, Mykola Trokhymovych, Alessandro Raganato, Oldrich Plchot, and Yehor Smoliakov, who will present their latest research and insights. Don’t forget to register.

Scientists Rescue Climate-Threatened Scents

Czech experts from the Institute of Information Theory and Automation of the Czech Academy of Sciences are involved in the European project Scentinel, which aims to preserve scents disappearing due to climate change. The project digitizes endangered odors using special capsules and creates a database of scents with stories for future generations.

AI Audit Tool

At the AI in Public Administration conference, David Pešek from EDIH CTU presented a systematic approach to implementing artificial intelligence. A key highlight was the introduction of ADAM technology, developed for the Audit Authority of the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, which uses machine learning to assist auditors in navigating complex documents and enhance audit efficiency.

Open House for Industry

CIIRC CTU invites representatives from industrial companies to an exclusive Tech Dating aka open house event. Visit our laboratories and explore the latest trends and technologies in industrial AI, robotics, and automation. At this unique technology showcase, you will discover how our innovations can help drive your business forward. The event is free for registered participants – don’t hesitate to come and get inspired!

Vision of Agentic Economy in San Francisco

Jan Čurn from Apify will present his talk “The rise of the agentic economy on the shoulders of MCP” at the renowned AI Engineer World’s Fair in San Francisco. He will discuss how MCP and server directories enable agents to autonomously discover new tools and agents, laying the groundwork for a future agentic economy and new B2A and A2A business models. You can listen to the test talk at Vibe Coding & MCP on May 15 in Prague.

Fairer Recommendations

Recombee’s new blog post tackles exposure bias in recommendations, where popular items overshadow lesser-known ones. It introduces a scalable tool (ILP) for fairer ranking, ensuring visibility for minority creators and less popular content. The system guarantees minimum or relative exposure, increasing the chance of discovery for disadvantaged items with a minimal impact on recommendation accuracy.

AI for Algorithmic Trading 

Tune in to the latest Data Talk featuring Martin Schmid, founder of EquiLibre Technologies. Learn about his journey from studies at Charles University to developing groundbreaking AI for poker (DeepStack, Player of Games at Google DeepMind) and now building “DeepMind for finance” – the startup EquiLibre. Schmid discusses modern algorithmic trading strategies, the complexities of creating an AI agent for real financial markets, and why their MVP traded cryptocurrency.

Automation for Everyone, Powered by AI

In the latest episode of Data Talk, we delve into the world of automation with Martin Cízler from Make. Discover how the Make platform facilitates easy integration and workflow automation even without coding knowledge. Martin will reveal how Make internally utilizes its own product and Google Workspace, and introduce the integration with Google Gemini and the new Make AI Agents for enhanced productivity. The discussion will also cover the competition in the automation platform market, the future of no-code/low-code tools with AI agents, and MCP technology.

AI Automates Call Monitoring

DataSentics enabled Home Credit to fully automate call quality control using AI. Manual checks were inefficient for millions of calls. AI analyzes all calls with Whisper V3 and generative AI, translating and scoring quality. The result is 100% monitoring coverage and improved agent feedback.

AI Development Insights at ML Prague

The artificial intelligence center Dataclair at O2 offered insights into their work with LLM models and big data at this year’s ML Prague conference. They demonstrated how they use synthetic data to fine-tune embedding models for handling non-English documents. Furthermore, they presented the development of their AI assistant, the Virtual Buddy, which is revolutionizing customer care at the largest Czech operator.

AI/ML in Protein Engineering and Pharma Research

MSD invites you to a meetup on AI/ML applications in protein engineering and pharmaceutical research. Discover how algorithms are applied to biological data for novel drugs and enzymes. Leonidas Lundell will present on disease and protein structure prediction (AlphaFold, RFdiffusion, Evolutionary Scale Modelling by Meta). The agenda includes registration, a presentation, and networking. The event is taking place on 20 May.

EU AI Act and Public Sector

The first parts of the EU AI Act are in effect since February, fully in August 2026. PwC analyzes the impacts on the public sector in two blog posts. The first covers obligations for public AI providers and deployers, and innovations. The second addresses risk elimination, where the AI Act, as the first EU-wide framework, regulates AI system development and use, with gradual effect from February 2025.

🎭 Events we’re excited about

 

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

🧩 Stuff that interests us

Emerging Threats and the Future of Trust

Michal Pechouček explores how artificial intelligence is shifting from targeting systems to targeting human cognition. Michal outlines four emerging threats redefining AI security and explains why deepfakes, behavioral data, and black-box models are putting trust at risk. We also discuss the growing gap between AI innovation and safety, China’s approach to behavioral data, and what this shift means for founders, defenders, and the future of digital trust.

2027: Exponential Growth and Global Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

 

The AI 2027 document forecasts exponential progress in artificial intelligence in the coming years, with impacts expected to surpass those of the Industrial Revolution. The scenario outlines the AI development race between Western companies and China, the emergence of superhuman AGI, and artificial superintelligence by 2027. It highlights geopolitical tensions, security risks related to the misalignment of AI goals, and rapid job automation, raising concerns and demands for regulation. The document paints a picture of a world on the cusp of a radical AI-driven transformation.

📢 Community calls

Student Internship at ELI Beamlines

ELI Beamlines in Dolní Břežany is offering a summer internship with the possibility of starting as soon as possible. The intern will be involved in laser-plasma experiments, their simulations, and optimization using machine learning methods. The project includes potential extensions of existing work in generative models, laser system optimization, or the development of smart automated control of ALFA parameters. We offer work on a cutting-edge scientific project with opportunities for practical application of ML/AI. For more information and to apply, please visit their website.

EU Call: GenAI for Innovation in Public Administration

The European Union, under the Digital Europe Programme, announces the call to support pilot projects of generative AI (GenAI) in public administration. The aim is to automate tasks, improve citizen services, and support decision-making. Replication of successful solutions across Member States and the creation of a GenAI4EU community are expected. Projects must use European AI models and adhere to EU ethical principles. Consortia of public administrations can include other entities and must secure 50% co-funding. More info here.

EU Offers Grants to Develop Digital Academies of the Future

The Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) has announced a new call for proposals for action grants focused on advanced digital skills. The aim is to establish specialized digital academies in key areas: quantum technologies, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), and virtual worlds. The call details the objectives, scope, expected outcomes, and key performance indicators for each of these areas.More info here.

💼 Open job positions

Artificial Intelligence Center FEE CTU

Charles University

CIIRC 

Apify

Blindspot AI

Datamole

DataSentics

ententee

Make

MAMA AI

Qminers

Recombee

Rossum

Aricoma

Barclays

EY

Equilibre Technologies

ČEPS

Dataclair O2

JetBrains

MSD

PwC

 

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