
AI conferences are a great place for knowledge sharing about machine learning, big data, natural language processing, chatbot development, and more. In this article, we’ll share our strategies for choosing the right AI conference to attend, and then making the most out of your experience at that conference. But first, let’s take a look at a list of the best AI conferences in 2020.
Please note: Due to the spread of COVID-19, many of these events have been cancelled or postponed. Please visit the event’s website to verify details.
Upcoming AI Conferences in 2020−2021
With many AI conferences now moving online and free online resources releasing regularly, there has never been a better time to think about attending a conference, workshop, or seminar. Register now to these upcoming AI conferences, join the growing community, and meet like-minded data scientists. Lionbridge members are also planning to attend some of these conferences, so we’d love to meet you there!
Here are the best AI and machine learning conferences in 2020:
Conference | Description | Location | Date | Submission Deadline |
This virtual conference brings together industry professionals to talk about data science, machine learning, and AI for both research and industry application. | Online | November 2~3, 2020 | ||
This virtual conference focuses on the application of machine learning technologies in the retail and ecommerce industries. In the past, the conference featured talks by data science professionals from Amazon, Airbnb, Nordstrom, and more. | Online | November 17~20, 2020 | ||
The AIBC Summit is one of the world’s largest platforms for companies and researchers to exhibit, network and engage in debate. The conference brings together thought leaders on Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology, Big Data, and IoT. | Malta | November 18~19, 2020 | ||
ACCV is a biennial conference that provides a forum for researchers, engineers, and practitioners interested in the theory and applications in the areas of agents and artificial intelligence. | Kyoto, Japan | Nov. 30~Dec. 4, 2020 | ||
The Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems is a hugely popular event for fostering the exchange of research on neural information processing systems in a wide variety of fields. The conference includes talks, panel discussions, demos, and workshops. | Vancouver, Canada | December 5~12, 2020 | May 27, 2020 | |
This virtual conference focuses on the application of machine learning technologies in the finance and technology industries. The event will feature talks by data science professionals from CapitalOne, Semrush, Citizen, and more. | Online | December 8~11, 2020 | ||
The AI Summit New York offers unique insight into AI use in business and is regularly attended by over 1000 businesses. | Online | December 9~10, 2020 | ||
This conference is designed to bridge the gap between the latest technological research advancements and real world applications in business and society. | Online | January 28-29, 2021 | ||
Now virtual, the AAAI conference aims to promote research in AI and encourage networking between researchers, scientists, and engineers alike. | Online | February 2~9, 2021 | ||
The Ai4 2021 Cybersecurity Summit gathers business leaders and data practitioners to facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning within the cybersecurity industry. | Online | February 3~4, 2021 | ||
The Ai4 2021 Finance Summit gathers business leaders and data practitioners to facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning within the financial services industry. | Online | March 3~4, 2021 | ||
| A conference dedicated to the study, research, and development of human-robot interaction. The 2021 theme is “Bolder Human-Robot Interaction” | Online | March 8~11, 2021 | |
In this webinar, you can discover the latest ML algorithms being used to combat financial crime. | Online | March 10, 2021 | ||
The Ai4 2021 Retail, Supply Chain, & Marketing Summit gathers business leaders and data practitioners to facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning within the Retail, Supply Chain, & Marketing industries. | Online | April 7~8, 2021 | ||
Formerly held in Vienna, ICLR has gone virtual, but maintains its core material: cutting edge research, presentations, workshops, and networking. | Online | May 4~8, 2021 | ||
The Ai4 2021 Healthcare Summit gathers business leaders and data practitioners to facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning within the healthcare industry. | Online | May 5~6, 2021 |
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The AIBC Summit brings together thousands of investors and innovators in Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology, Big Data and the Internet of Things. | Manila, Phillippines | May 27~28, 2021 |
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A balanced conference including business and research, with presentations that look at cutting-edge tech, current issues, and AI ethics. | Montreal, Canada | April 20~21, 2021 |
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Considered the premier annual computer vision event, this conference includes a variety of workshops, short courses, and presentations. | Online | June 19~25, 2021 | ||
The 2021 ICML conference will be virtual, but still intends to be a premier locations of gathering professionals, publishing research, and connecting individuals. | Online | July 18~24, 2021 | ||
The Ai4 2021 Summit gathers business leaders and data practitioners to facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning within various industries, including cybersecurity, healthcare, finance, and retail. | Online | August 17~19, 2021 | ||
Filled with a variety of demonstrations, workshops, tutorials, and presentations, ECCV offers a great chance to stay up to date. Attendees will also have access to the conference contents for 12 months after the conference finishes. | Online | August 23~28, 2021 | ||
This conference looks to explore the latest innovations, implementations, and strategies in AI technology. Features presentations covering a wide range of topics from data analytics to chatbots and business intelligence. | Santa Clara, California | September 22~23, 2021 | ||
ICCV is now expected to take place in 2021. This conference is comprised of a main conference with workshops and tutorials in nearby locations. | Montreal, Canada | October 11~17, 2021 | ||
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How to choose which machine learning conference to attend
When deciding which of the AI conference to attend in 2020, you should think about your main goal for attending a conference. If you think about what you want to get out of attending an AI conference, that should help to narrow down your choices.
a.) You want to meet other data scientists.
If you’re interested in debating and discussing machine learning trends with other data scientists, you might consider attending an intimate conference with round-table discussions. On the other hand, if you’re looking to network with as many other data scientists as possible, you should attend a large global summit with thousands of attendees.
b.) You’re interested in a particular subfield of AI.
AI is an extremely broad topic, and there are plenty of conferences that focus on a subfield, such as the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) or the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing. You can delve into the conference program and presentation abstracts to make sure that the content is right for your level and interests.
c.) You’re looking for job opportunities, or want to recruit new data scientists for your team.
If you’re attending an AI conference in 2020 to seek job opportunities, we’d recommend choosing a subject-focused event, where you might have a better chance of finding an employer who is looking for someone with your skill set. The same goes for if you’re on the other side, looking to recruit new data scientists for your team.
Tips for attending an AI conference on a budget
AI conferences can be expensive, but here are some tips to cut costs without sacrificing the experience.
To start, there are some free conferences that are definitely worth attending, like the AWS Global Summit Program events and Microsoft events.
If the conference that you’d like to attend isn’t free, you can still be picky about what type of ticket to buy. Some AI conferences offer discounted tickets for startups, or for anyone who registers early. Other conferences have different pricing plans depending on the type of ticket that you purchase. For example, a standard ticket that gets you into the presentation and booth area would be cheaper than a premium ticket that also lets you participate in workshops.
Keep in mind also that you could also apply for travel assistance for some conferences. Google provides travel and conference grants for traditionally underrepresented groups in tech. “Underrepresented group” tends to have a broad meaning in the tech industry, so it might be worth applying even if you’re not sure whether you’d qualify. You can also look into diversity scholarships for underrepresented groups. You can check out AT4 (all the tech things) for diversity scholarships.
There are also hackathons and competitions, where conference tickets are offered as prizes for the winners. Google hosts an annual coding competition called Code Jam to I/O for Women, and awards the top 150 on the scoreboard a ticket and reimbursement to offset travel expenses to Google I/O.
Finally, you could volunteer or apply to speak at a conference, but doing so would cut into your time at the conference.
How to prepare for machine learning conferences in 2020
Once you’ve registered for an AI conference, you’ll need to start preparing for it. Figure out who you’d like to meet from the speaker and attendees lists. Then, conduct your research on the people that you’re interested in meeting. Check whether they’ve written any papers, or have an active blog or social media account. Take notes about what you’d like to ask or discuss with them in person. If possible, contact them before the event and let them know that you’d be interested in meeting. If you’re going to be attending a big conference with thousands of attendees, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to meet someone.
One thing that is often overlooked when preparing for an AI conference, is your existing relationships. When you look through the speaker and attendees lists, also check if people you’ve networked with in the past are attending again. You can post a simple call-out on Twitter or LinkedIn to see who from your network will also be attending, and reinvigorate old conversations and spark ideas for new collaborations.
On the day of the conference, aim to arrive early. Don’t forget to bring a pen, business cards, laptop and charger for taking notes during the presentations, and copies of your resume if you’re job searching.
Our list for AI conferences in 2020 will be constantly updated with new conferences and events. To receive alerts when new conferences are added, please subscribe to our newsletter.