There are events you attend because you have to – networking, exposure, staying current. And then there are events that remind you why you got into this business in the first place. The AI Plumbers Conference – now in its second edition – was one of those rare ones.
Why? Because it wasn’t about the hype. It was about the work. The stuff under the hood: infrastructure, compilers, accelerators, frameworks. The quiet backbone of modern AI that often gets overshadowed by flashy demos and inflated promises.
Hosted in Berlin by AIFoundry, and supported by open-source heavyweights like Hugging Face and Red Hat, this wasn’t a place for polished product pitches. It was a space for real builders, open conversations, and shared curiosity. The kind of event that makes you remember: this is why we do what we do.
Why? Because it wasn’t about the hype. It was about the work. The stuff under the hood: infrastructure, compilers, accelerators, frameworks. The quiet backbone of modern AI that often gets overshadowed by flashy demos and inflated promises.
Hosted in Berlin by AIFoundry, and supported by open-source heavyweights like Hugging Face and Red Hat, this wasn’t a place for polished product pitches. It was a space for real builders, open conversations, and shared curiosity. The kind of event that makes you remember: this is why we do what we do.
Hugging Face, Vision Models, and the Beauty of Transparency
A highlight of the day came from Xuan-Son Nguyen, engineer at Hugging Face, who pulled back the curtain on integrating vision support into llama.cpp and llama-server. For anyone deep in AI infrastructure, it was a revealing glimpse into the tradeoffs, hacks, and breakthroughs behind the scenes.
Together with Hugging Face’s GPU whisperer VB, Son also shared how the company is applying generative AI internally – including real-world on-device use cases. It was refreshing to hear not just success stories, but also the sticking points, the still-unsolved challenges, and the honest “we’re figuring it out as we go” moments.
Together with Hugging Face’s GPU whisperer VB, Son also shared how the company is applying generative AI internally – including real-world on-device use cases. It was refreshing to hear not just success stories, but also the sticking points, the still-unsolved challenges, and the honest “we’re figuring it out as we go” moments.
Building Together: Cybergizer’s Place in the Community
We were proud to see our own Sergey Sergyenko, CEO of Cybergizer, speak during the lightning talks. His session – “AI Brings Test-Driven Development Back on Track” – was a timely reminder that as we sprint ahead with AI, we can’t forget the fundamentals. Sound engineering practices, clean design, and testability matter more than ever.
Because at the end of the day, AI isn’t just about inventing new tools. It’s about building things that work – reliably, collaboratively, and sustainably. And that’s a job for engineers, not just researchers.
Because at the end of the day, AI isn’t just about inventing new tools. It’s about building things that work – reliably, collaboratively, and sustainably. And that’s a job for engineers, not just researchers.
The Spirit of Open Source, Alive and Well
What set this conference apart wasn’t just the content, but the people. The open-source energy was palpable – not just as a license model, but as a mindset. One of inclusion, transparency, and shared ownership.
At Cybergizer, we don’t just attend these events to stay relevant. We show up because we believe in this kind of community. Where knowledge flows freely. Where ideas are sketched on whiteboards over coffee. Where you leave the room not just with notes, but with new collaborators, new questions, and a slightly bigger sense of what’s possible.
At Cybergizer, we don’t just attend these events to stay relevant. We show up because we believe in this kind of community. Where knowledge flows freely. Where ideas are sketched on whiteboards over coffee. Where you leave the room not just with notes, but with new collaborators, new questions, and a slightly bigger sense of what’s possible.
Between the Talks, Beyond the Script
As with any good event, the most memorable moments happened in the in-betweens – the hallway conversations, the spontaneous demos, the arguments over future architecture directions.
The unconference format in the afternoon gave everyone room to go off-script and connect around what actually mattered in the moment. It felt real, improvised, alive – the way learning should be.
And Berlin? It just fit. There’s a raw creative energy in this city that invites experimentation and honest exchange. With Berlin Buzzwords happening just after, the whole week had the feeling of a pop-up campus for the AI underground.
The unconference format in the afternoon gave everyone room to go off-script and connect around what actually mattered in the moment. It felt real, improvised, alive – the way learning should be.
And Berlin? It just fit. There’s a raw creative energy in this city that invites experimentation and honest exchange. With Berlin Buzzwords happening just after, the whole week had the feeling of a pop-up campus for the AI underground.
Why We’re Here
So yes, there are conferences you go to for business. But then there are the ones that initiate you into the business. That remind you why you chose this path in the first place – the craft, the people, the shared obsession with building things that matter.
The AI Plumbers Conference was one of those. A gathering of practitioners, tinkerers, and true believers. And exactly the kind of event that keeps us grounded, excited, and – most importantly – connected to the “why” behind the work.
Until next time, Berlin.
The AI Plumbers Conference was one of those. A gathering of practitioners, tinkerers, and true believers. And exactly the kind of event that keeps us grounded, excited, and – most importantly – connected to the “why” behind the work.
Until next time, Berlin.
