Another Excellent Meetup! 🎉

Claude Sonnet 4 Summary

Vancouver AI: May 28 #WebSummit Event Summary

Event Overview

Vancouver AI hosted a community gathering on May 28, 2025 at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, focusing on the intersection of AI, ethics, and community building.

Key Speakers & Topics

Carol Anne Hilton | Indigenomics Institute

• Topic: Indigenomics AI: Mapping Indigenous Economic Intelligence
• Presented the Indigenous Economic Intelligence Engine - an AI-powered platform designed to map and amplify Indigenous economic activity
• Focus on economic sovereignty, innovation, and modern Indigenous economic design

Kushal Goenka | Multi-disciplinary Developer

• Topic: Advanced search technology demonstration
• Live demo of how AI embeddings understand user intent beyond literal search terms
• Background: VR Developer, Industrial Designer, UX Designer, Web Developer & CG Artist

Gabriel George Sr | Tsleil-Waututh Nation

• Role: Director of Treaty, Lands, and Resources
• Provided Indigenous perspective on land stewardship and storytelling in the context of technology

Vipul Kansal

• Shared insights from Web Summit experiences
• Focused on building community-powered momentum for BC’s grassroots AI builders

Kris Krüg | BC + AI, TheUpgrade.ai

• Presented findings from surveying 44 local AI builders about BC’s AI scene
• Discussed what’s working, what’s missing, and future directions for the community

Event Philosophy

• Mission: “Technology isn’t neutral and neither are we”
• Emphasis on questioning what we build, not just how to build it
• Focus on bridging diverse disciplines: art, research, corporate, and grassroots development
• Anti-gatekeeping approach welcoming researchers, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals

Community Structure

• Part of the broader BC + AI Ecosystem with hubs in Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna
• Vancouver AI CORE Membership available for year-round access to community resources
• Monthly gatherings since 2023

Venue & Logistics

• Location: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver
• Capacity: Limited to 200 attendees
• Accessibility: Fully accessible venue with parking and transit access

Sponsors & Partners

• Dimitri Schwartzman (Real Estate)
• SEGEV LLP (Legal)
• METACREATION Lab (Research)
• TheUpgrade.ai (AI Education)
• RIVAL Technologies (Research Technology)

Community Values

• Self-organizing system focused on ethical AI development
• Emphasis on local control vs. Silicon Valley influence
• Integration of Indigenous wisdom with technological innovation
• Balance between creation and critical questioning of technology’s impact