Data Sanity Talks

Data Sanity Breakfast: It’s Already Tomorrow! Start your Sunday with a perfect blend of AI projects and coffee ☕️ 📍 Dusha Specialty Coffee, Belgrade 📅 Sunday, June 22 ⏰ 10:00 – 12:00 ✒️ Sign up now via this short form

Data Sanity Breakfast: Pet Projects Edition This time, we’re putting pet projects in the spotlight! Join us for a cozy morning meetup with fellow data professionals and enthusiasts. Share your project or just join to listen — we welcome both! Come for the coffee, stay for the stories ☕️ ⚡️ 3 minutes to present a project + 2 minutes for Q&A. ⚡️ No project? No worries — come to listen, network, and enjoy coffee. 📍 Dusha Specialty Coffee, Belgrade 📅 Sunday, June 22 ⏰ 10:00 – 12:00 ✒️ To join, fill out the registration form

Flash News from Data Sanity Talks: ⚡️ We’ve uploaded all the photos to our website: datasanity.dev ⚡️ Talk recordings are rolling out on our YouTube channel — check out talks by Veljko Ćirić & Maria Matveeva: youtube.com/@datasanity ⚡️ A small, cozy event is brewing for this Sunday morning — updates coming soon!

Thank you for supporting us! Data Sanity Talks wouldn’t have been possible without you! We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who helped us in one way or another. Special thanks to: ❤️ Startit Centar and Vukašin Vu Stojkov personally, for letting us use their amazing co-working space and helping to promote the event; ❤️ Our speakers, project presenters, and discussion moderators — some of whom traveled from abroad; ❤️ Data Sanity’s program committee (Nikita, Stanislav, and Salavat), strategist (Ivan), and graphic designer (Nina), who made it all happen; ❤️ Our photographer Svetlana for all these amazing photos; ❤️ The many individuals and communities who helped spread the word on social media; ❤️ And of course, everyone who came — it was amazing to see so many faces! 🖊 How did the event go for you? You can still share your thoughts with us using this feedback form. P.S. We’ll be sharing slides and lecture recordings on our website and social media in the coming weeks — stay tuned!

Data Sanity Talks: How Was It? The second day of Data Sanity Talks Belgrade is over! Two days' total: 9 AI talks, 6 project presentations, 5 moderated discussions, 180+ participants, and 300+ kiflice 🥐 How did it go for you? Please let us know! 🖊 Fill out this short feedback form Stay sane — and see you at our next event!

The first day of Data Sanity Talks Belgrade is over: 4 talks, 5 moderated discussions, and 100+ participants. Join us for Day 2! 🗓 When: June 2 & 3, 17:30 – 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn More: https://datasanity.dev/

⚡️ Our first event begins in exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes. Come join us at Startit Centar! ✨ Full event schedule: https://datasanity.dev/ If you’ve already registered, please check your email for directions on how to find the space. The nearby street is under construction, so getting here might be a bit more challenging than usual.

🚀 Data Sanity Talks will be the first event of Belgrade AI Week 2025, which runs on June 2-10. There will be events organized by multiple companies and communities, including Startit, IT Connect, Foursquare, and many others. 🗓 Check out the full AI Week schedule: https://startit.rs/ai-week/

🎤 Data Sanity Talks: AI Discussions Join us next Monday to participate in a moderated discussion on some of today’s hottest AI topics — from ethics to vibe coding. Come learn, share your perspective, and connect with like-minded people! 🗓 When: June 2 & 3, 18:00 – 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar ✨ Register & Learn More: https://datasanity.dev/ Featured discussions: 🚀 “AI Tools for Developers: To Vibe or Not To Vibe” — Andrei Tereshchenko 🚀 “Data Science vs Top Management: How to Win This Battle” — Julia Poltaratskaya 🚀 “AI for the Sake of AI. How Else Could It Be?” — An Klowait 🚀 “Is Math Overrated in AI?” — Aleksei Prokopev 🚀 “Ethics in AI. Does It Matter?” — Siniša Radulović

🎤 Data Sanity Talks: Showcasing AI Projects Join us next Tuesday for a poster session showcasing a range of AI projects — from AGI benchmark research to practical AI assistants. Come chat with project leads, exchange advice, or find new collaborators! 🗓 When: June 2 & 3, 18:00 – 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar ✨ Register & Learn More: https://datasanity.dev/ Featured projects: 🚀 “ARC-AGI Benchmark” — Andrey Zakharevich 🚀 “Generative Synergy for E-com” — Julia Polushina 🚀 “EnTrier” — Mikhail Sokolov 🚀 “Vectorium” — Miloš Milunović 🚀 “Artificial InterSlavic Language” — Salavat Garifullin 🚀 “Rental Market Analysis in Serbia” — Ismail Gadzhiev 🚀 “Telegram Virtual Assistant” — Vladislav Meshkorudnyj

🎤 Data Sanity Talks: Next Monday & Tuesday! 🗓 When: June 2 & 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar ✨ Register & Learn More: https://datasanity.dev/ Kick off AI Week Belgrade with two evenings of inspiring AI talks: 🚀 Gain insights from AI industry experts 🚀 Discover exciting AI initiatives 🚀 Network with like-minded professionals 🚀 Enjoy free snacks! The speaker lineup and registration are now live on our website. ⭐️ Join this event on LinkedIn ⭐️ Follow us on Instagram

🎙 Talk: Hacking the Prompt: AI Security in the Era of LLMs Speaker: Miloš Božić, CEO & Founder @ Pyxero.ai As Large Language Models (LLMs) power more tools and platforms, the risks of misuse and manipulation are growing fast. In this talk, Miloš Božić shares insights from extensive testing of open-source LLMs — exposing how techniques like prompt injection, system impersonation, and chain-of-thought hijacking can bypass safety filters and exploit model behavior. You’ll learn where current defenses fall short, and what needs to change to make AI more secure and trustworthy. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn More: https://datasanity.dev

🎙 How We Use AI Tools: Mental Models & Misconceptions Speaker: Ilya Zakharov, Senior Researcher @ JetBrains How do our assumptions shape the way we use AI tools — and misuse them? In this talk, Ilya Zakharov explores the mental models that guide how experts and non-experts alike interact with AI systems. Drawing from cognitive science and real-world examples, he contrasts expert mental models with those of the broader public, uncovering key gaps that impact usability, trust, and outcomes. Learn how better mental models can lead to more effective — and safer — AI use. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Managing Data Scientists: A Story of Uncertainty, AGI & Sand Frogs Speaker: Maria Matvejeva, DS Manager @ AdTech Holding Managing a data science team isn’t like managing developers. It’s a constant balancing act — between innovation and delivery, research and results, metrics and business value. In this talk, Maria shares lessons from her transition into data science leadership: why A/B tests can mislead, why great models don’t always drive impact, and how to keep a team motivated without drifting into research rabbit holes. Expect real stories, practical frameworks, and a few sand frogs along the way. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Interactive Latent Diffusion: Steering Text-to-Image Models Speaker: Nick Knizev, Co-Founder @ Wizium.ai, Ex-Meta What if you could collaborate with an AI to generate images — not just prompt it and hope for the best? In this talk, Nick Knizev shares his Best Paper–nominated work on Interactive Latent Diffusion Models (IELDM), a new approach that lets users steer text-to-image generation in real time. This allows users to guide image generation by selecting preferred outputs and interacting with specific image regions, helping the model learn and adapt to user intent. These targeted refinements and image recombination help to reduce the trial-and-error, showing strong performance even with complex prompts that typically challenge diffusion models. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Launching AI Startups: From First Prototype to First Clients Speaker: Igor Dostanić, Co-Founder and CTO @ Luccid.ai What does it take to go from idea to first paying clients in the AI space? Igor Dostanić shares real-world lessons on building MVPs that actually work, finding product-market fit, and talking to clients in traditional industries like construction. Learn how to build lean, earn trust, navigate investor conversations, and handle messy real-world data — all while avoiding the trap of building tech for tech’s sake. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Agentic Product Design: What Works, What Fails, and Why Speaker: Arsenii Shkunkov, AI/ML Engineer @ Raw Ventures AI products are evolving from static tools into dynamic systems with autonomous behavior — but what truly makes an AI system _agentic_? In this talk, Arsenii explores what sets successful AI agents apart from those that underperform or fail. He’ll break down common design pitfalls, from poorly defined scopes to misaligned autonomy, and share practical strategies for defining the right boundaries and balancing independence with human oversight. If you’re building — or planning to build — AI agents, this talk will offer the insights you need to do it right. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Post-training LLMs: Smarter Algorithms & Rewards Speaker: Kirill Tyshchuk, AI Engineer @ Perplexity AI What’s next for fine-tuning large language models? This talk dives into the fast-moving world of LLM alignment, comparing classic techniques like PPO and DPO with cutting-edge alternatives such as RLOO, CGPO, GRPO, and DAPO. Kirill Tyshchuk will unpack how verifiable reward signals are driving breakthroughs in math reasoning, code generation, and structured output quality. Expect a practical, insight-driven tour through real-world challenges and industry applications. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Creative Assistants: Embedding AI in Design & Art Speaker: Veljko Ćirić, Creative Technologist & Architect How can AI become a true creative partner rather than just a tool for automation? In this talk, Veljko Ćirić explores how analog AI inference, custom LoRA training, and artistic thinking can transform AI into an adaptive, intuitive assistant. Drawing on his background in architecture and design — as well as research in Human-AI interaction — he presents a vision of AI that senses, responds, and co-creates alongside humans. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/

🎙 Building Better Datasets: Image & Video Quality at Scale Speaker: Ivan Drokin, Applied ML Lead @ Moonvalley.ai High-quality data is the backbone of effective generative models — especially for text2image and text2video systems. In this talk, we’ll explore state-of-the-art methods for evaluating and filtering image and video datasets, including large-scale deduplication techniques that work across billions of samples. Ivan will also share hands-on lessons from working with public datasets and highlight common pitfalls and best practices for dataset curation at scale. 🗓 When: June 2 + June 3, 18:00 — 22:00 📍 Where: Belgrade, Startit Centar 🚀 Register & Learn more: https://datasanity.dev/