Final Day of DeepFest 2025 explored future of AI: From foundation models to fashion, science to sports
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – The curtain came down yesterday on DeepFest 2025, the world's leading artificial intelligence (AI) conference, with representatives from technology heavyweights IBM and Adobe rubbing shoulders at Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malham, while officials from golf's PGA European Tour, Formula E, and fashion designers focused on digital wearables.
Anabelle Mander, Executive Vice President, Tahaluf, which co-organises LEAP with the Saudi Ministry for Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), said: 'Over the past four days, we have heard from a range of AI experts and industry pioneers, witnessed a host of amazing innovations, and been provided a window into what lies ahead, proving once more that when it comes to future tech and AI, DeepFest is truly a global event that cannot be missed.'
Screens to Greens, Golf Improving Operations Through AI
Kicking off the final day was a session focused on AI in sport and how it can revolutionise operational efficiency. Michael Cole, Chief Technology Officer at the PGA European Tour, said with 45 golf tournaments in 29 countries and venues spread across the equivalent of 170 football pitches, 'connectivity is now as important as food; as important as the air we breathe'.
As an example of AI's role in helping improve operations, Cole highlighted how it has simplified the prize fund payment process, transforming it from 'five days to just five clicks', as well as discussing the utilisation of a digital twin to bring fans closer to the action and better informed about what is going on during an event.
The panel also included Matt Roberts, VP Business Intelligence at Formula E, who said advancements in fan engagement through AI had led to 'Galvanic Skin Response Testing', which essentially analyses viewers' hands for sweat and uses the data to better understand what fans find most and least engaging, helping shape future coverage, content, and potentially – in the case of pit-stops – even regulations.
Building Trust in AI: 'Regulate Application Not Algorithm'
Later in the day, AI and quantum computing took centre stage, with Ayman AlRashed, IBM's Regional Vice President, discussing transparency and regulatory frameworks. Emphasising the critical need for what he termed 'transparent, explainable AI' to build public trust, AlRashed spoke of IBM's commitment to open-source development and accountability. The conversation underscored the necessity of regulating AI applications rather than the technology itself, drawing comparisons to roads and transport rules.
'When you look at regulations in roadways, you don't regulate the tyres, you regulate the actual usage of the tyres on the cars, right? So that's what we're trying to pronounce,' AlRashed added, predicting a shift towards practical AI applications over purely foundational models in 2025.
From foundational models to fashion models, the DeepFest 2025 stage also featured a discussion on the intersection of clothing and technology. Dutch designer Anouk Wipprecht showcased her spider dress, which is equipped with ultrasonic sensors and reactive legs that extend when the user's personal space is invaded, and her heartbeat dress, which visualises real-time heart rates to merge fashion with emotion-driven technology. TJ Rhodes, Senior Research Scientist at Adobe, then discussed Project Primrose, an interactive dress made of flexible, non-emissive textiles that allows a surface to display content regardless of shape or form – be it a dress, furniture, or even a building.
Harnessing AI's Creativity to Rethink the Science of Drug Discovery
Late in the afternoon, delegates heard from Thras Karydis, Co-Founder and CTO of Deepcure, who said AI is making significant strides in disease diagnosis and protein structure prediction, but lamented how drug discovery remains too slow. At the current pace, he said, it would take more than 400 years to explore all known therapeutic opportunities.
'I have been hearing around the conference that AI is making great advancements in the way that we diagnose disease by analysing genomics data; in the way we understand products such as AlphaFold from Deepmind that predicts protein structures using AI,' he said. 'Every year, we discover roughly 20 new drugs, maximum, yet we have more than 8,000 proteins we know will have a therapeutic effect but are not actively exploring. To fix this, we need to harness the strength of both humans and AI to drive discovery faster.'
Taking place between 9-12 February, DeepFest was co-located alongside LEAP, Saudi Arabia's award-winning global tech event, organised by Tahaluf, and powered by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). For more information, visit www.DeepFest.com
About LEAP:
Saudi Arabia's desire to shoot for something beyond the realms of the possible presents the ultimate backdrop for LEAP.
LEAP showcases the Kingdom's technology ambition on a global stage as it continues to grow as a hub connecting three continents. The figures speak from themselves as LEAP 2024 had an attendance of over 215,000, making it the most attended tech event in the world. LEAP features the inspiring tech of tomorrow across all major sectors including health, finance, energy, education, digital entertainment, transport, smart cities and more. The event is also led by a speaker faculty of globally celebrated technology innovators, focussing on the most innovative tech case studies from around the world.
LEAP is not like any other tech event, from the ground up the community, stakeholders and project team are challenged every day to do something wildly creative and bold, something that reflects the seismic advances in tech adoption being seen in Saudi Arabia.
About Tahaluf:
Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf region, and from around the world to a portfolio of world-class exhibitions and digital platforms.
Tahaluf is a joint venture partnership between Informa PLC, the world's largest trade show organiser, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Events Investment Fund (EIF). Sela, the Saudi-owned event production company renowned for its creation of spectacular event experiences, intends to join the joint venture in the near future.
In 2024 Tahaluf was responsible for the award-winning tech events LEAP & DeepFest, as well as 24 Fintech, the Global Health Exhibition, Cityscape Global, Black Hat MEA and CPHI.
For more information about Tahaluf, visit https://tahaluf.com
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