Hey rebels & AI explorers! Wow. Just wow. Our last Vancouver AI Meetup at the Space Centre was something special. The planetarium projector dying mid-talk? Almost poetic—like AI itself, pushing boundaries while reminding us how fragile tech (and our assumptions about it) can be.

But you? You all showed up. Physicists and poets, hackers and healers, deep-learning engineers and beatboxers bending sound into light—all under one dome, co-creating the future in real-time.

🔥 Big love to everyone who joined, spoke, performed, and supported. You are the reason this community is growing into something beyond just “another AI meetup.” You’re making it an ecosystem—a movement.

A Few Standout Moments

Judy Illes on the ethical tightrope of AI & neuroscience—humility in the face of exponential change.

Catherine Warren making it clear: AI can be ethical and pay creators for their work.

Brittney Smaila spinning poetry into paradox—what happens when we upload ourselves into the machine?

Sissi Wang breaking down how AI shifts us from “capacity units” to empowered creators.

Quana Parker making the three-ferry trek from Hornby Island to share off-grid AI experiments.

Dean Shev's healthcare team building ethics-first AI with Northeastern University.

Michael Tippett's "Mr. Canada" subverting national identity through deepfaked politicians.

Shane Gibson demystifying AI sales tools that amplify human connection.

Our new $10K AI Data Storytelling Hackathon

The Challenge: Using a custom dataset gathered with Rival Technologies’ market research tech, your mission is to transform raw numbers into an experience that’s interactive, visual, or narrative-driven. You decide how to make the data speak—whether that’s through a dynamic visualization, an engaging presentation, or even an unconventional performance powered by AI.

The Prizes: $10,000 in total prize money. $2,500 per winning submission across four hackathons.

What’s Next?

New Voices Wanted – Got something wild, weird, or wonderful to share? Let’s get you on stage.

We’re always looking for volunteers, speakers, sponsors, and demo presenters to bring fresh energy and ideas to the stage. If you’ve got something cool to share, we want to hear from you!

This Community is Yours. Let’s Build It Together.

A few ideas from you all: More open demo tables, a stronger web presence, rotating speaker residencies. We hear you. If you want to help make this happen, let's chat.

The future isn’t just something happening to us. It’s something we’re making together. And even when the projector dies, we keep going.

Know someone who should be in this convo? Forward this email. Let’s grow the movement.

With gratitude & fire,

Kris Krüg

P.S. If you’re ready to level up your AI game, I just launched a series of immersive courses and workshops through TheUpgrade.ai. Whether you're a PR pro, a creative, a sales leader, or looking to integrate AI into your video production, we’ve got something for you. Check out the lineup and join the revolution!

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