IT Arena 2023: Everything AI, Cybersec, E-government, and Education

Sigma Software has never missed any IT Arena. From its first year, we’ve been partners and active fans. So, this year we’ve also celebrated a decade of our partnership with this outstanding tech conference. And we celebrated in style – two booths, one of which was an exhibition of the 90-ties computers, first Sega and Nintendo consoles, vintage mobile phones, and a bunch of other nostalgic artifacts. Besides booths, we had 4 speakers, 20 visitors and supported Startup Track. Some even said that Sigma Software Group captured the IT Arena. Well, we tried.

Two days of impressive speeches in four tracks – Business, Product, Tech, and Startup – gave the attendees a lot of food for their minds. Technology leaders from around the world shared their thoughts and insights. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that many of them revolved around Generative AI.

How AI Will Change the Way We Work?

“AI is here to stay” – is sure Gauthier Vasseur, President and CEO of Data Wise Academy, a boutique business analytics training firm in Menlo Park, California.

In his speech “How Generative AI is revolutionizing business analytics”, Gauthier described his experience of performing a business analysis task using ChatGPT. It allowed him to get the job done in less time and go further.

Ask the right questions

He was able to do it because he was a professional and knew what he was looking for. By guiding ChatGPT, correcting it in case of hallucinations, and asking the right questions, Gauthier got impressive results. However, a person not having his skills and experience wouldn’t be able to do the same. It means that, however efficient, ChatGPT is just a tool and needs a human mind to guide it. It also means that with its help a professional can go further – instead of mundane tasks, think and invent.

Humanity’s challenges are too complex to solve without AI

Svitlana Sicular, Research VP, AI at Gartner, a pioneer in responsible AI, AI governance, augmented intelligence, and big data research, told about the effect that Generative AI will produce at the corporate level.

First of all, she warned us to prepare for more powerful AI. The model and tool we use still make their first steps. Now that incredible investments and bright minds are applied to push it forward, Generative AI will progress at a faster pace. The ball now is in the hands of developers, they need to master “prompt engineering”, using a combination of natural language and coding practices to optimize code generation.

Generative AI is expected to play a significant role in education, marketing & sales, information technology, healthcare, and banking.

In the long term, we should expect increased attention in the following areas:

Four major disruptions that Svitlana envisages in relation to Generative AI are:

• Prompt engineering will become a critical skill;
• Applications will become conversational;
• Applications will become proactive/interactive;
• UX will need redesign.

Defense Tech and Cybersecurity

Today’s reality makes Defense Tech and Cybersecurity critical topics for many experts. With the number of cyber attacks on important infrastructure objects and state agencies doubled in comparison to the previous year, Ukrainian cybersec forces need to be very efficient.

According to Nazar Tymoshyk, Cert-UA State Special Communications Expert, they are:

However, attacks on Ukraine happen not just in the digital space. In his speech “Technological Warfare”, Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, asked innovators and tech masterminds to focus on several areas that are important for our defense. These are aerial and naval drones, satellite communications, electronic warfare, AI, sky protection, unmanned ground platforms, local situational awareness systems.

The inspiring message that Mykhailo addressed to the IT community gathered at IT Arena: “The technological war is won by engineers.”

Let’s Sum Up

Tech and business experts from Sigma Software, who visited the event, had a great opportunity to discuss their views and opinions on the tech landscape and developments with those of the prominent speakers and guests from other areas. One of them, Oleksandr Plyska, Vice President at Sigma Software, shared his impressions of IT Arena 2023:

“I am thrilled to share my experience at IT ARENA, an event that has consistently impressed me since my first visit in 2015. Over the years, I’ve witnessed this conference evolve into something truly remarkable, but this year was beyond unforgettable. With over 3000 participants hailing from all corners of the globe, including esteemed top managers, government officials, passionate investors, dedicated volunteers, and innovative startups, the energy was electrifying.What struck me most was the profound attention directed towards products and startups. Governments and venture funds from around the world showed keen interest, solidifying Ukraine’s position as a global defense tech powerhouse. The quality of startups soared to unprecedented heights, showcasing the resilience, bravery, and intelligence of Ukrainian talents.

Oleksandr continues:

AI took center stage, with nearly every third speech delving into its transformative power. I had the privilege of engaging in inspiring conversations with visionaries like Chris Burry, who illuminated the realities and possibilities in wartime Ukraine. Gauthier Vasseur provided unique insights into how AI influences business and data analytics, shedding light on both challenges and opportunities.

Equally enlightening was Justin Zeefe’s invaluable advice on navigating the corporate landscape, aligning seamlessly with our approach at Sigma Software.

A special mention goes to my engaging conversation with Svitlana Sicular, who is originally from Ukraine, but now is Research VP at Gartner, focusing on AI, highlighting Gartner’s pivotal role in assisting companies.

I must express my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers whose dedication made this event an unparalleled success.”

IT Arena 2023 has become a legendary chapter in our history! We wish we could squeeze three days full of events in one blog post. We wish we could tell you more about our incredible speakers: Daria Yaniieva who talked about venture investments in 2023 in Ukraine; Evgeniy Bachinskiy with an emotional and insider story of the creation BCP plan and moving 2800 people from a war zone in 3 days; Marty Krátký-Katz, our friend and client who shared wisdom on overcoming business challenges through working with advisors’ network; Maxim Pachabut at a discussion panel on the future of skills and jobs in Ukraine.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to cover everything, so next time, just meet us at the IT Arena!

• #AI/ML
• #BI and Big Data
• #E-Learning Solutions
• #Information Security