In the world of AI conferences, something troubling has happened. What once served as vital knowledge exchanges have morphed into glorified popularity contests. After speaking at several major events this year, I’ve made a difficult decision: I’m stepping away from the speaking circuit.
The Problem with Today’s AI Conferences
Let me be direct: many AI conferences no longer deliver real value to attendees. I witnessed this looking at conferences just this month. The speaking lineups featured individuals with impressive social media followings but questionable expertise in the field.
These stages are increasingly dominated by influencers armed with rehearsed catchphrases and polished presentations. To be fair, some of these speakers do have real-world implementation experience, but it’s often extremely limited in scope or fundamentally lacking in technical understanding.
They might present case studies with seemingly impressive metrics, but trained experts can easily spot that these results are riddled with methodological problems, false equivalencies, or cherry-picked data points.
The Danger of Surface-Level Expertise
Perhaps the most alarming trend I’ve observed is the rise of “vibe coding” – a practice where influencers use AI tools to build systems without fundamental understanding of the underlying technologies or security implications.
This approach has proven catastrophic for many businesses who followed this guidance. I’ve witnessed companies lose tens of thousands of dollars in damages because they implemented AI solutions from these so-called experts who failed to incorporate basic security standards and best practices.
The reality is that proper AI implementation requires specific security knowledge that must be deliberately incorporated. It isn’t automatic. It isn’t intuitive. And it certainly can’t be replaced with enthusiasm and a good “vibe.”
The Real Victims: The Audience
The people who truly suffer in this scenario are the attendees. They invest thousands of dollars in tickets, travel expenses, and accommodations. They take valuable time away from their businesses and projects. Their expectation is reasonable: to gain actionable insights from genuine experts.
What they often get instead is essentially a live performance of content they could have consumed for free on social media – content that might look impressive but lacks the depth needed for responsible implementation.
The Conference Selection Problem
Conference organizers aren’t entirely to blame. They operate in a competitive market and need to sell tickets. Their selection criteria for speakers has gradually shifted from “Who knows the most?” to “Who will draw the biggest crowd?”
They prioritize:
- Marketable names over domain expertise
- Social media darlings over industry veterans
- Follower counts over implementation experience
- Engagement metrics over actual results
I’ve built AI systems that solve real business problems and create genuine value. Yet repeatedly, I’ve seen these achievements matter less than my “influence” or follower count when speaker selections are made.
Choosing a Different Path
This realization has led me to make a change. I’m redirecting my energy toward what matters most: building rather than talking, creating rather than performing.
The AI industry doesn’t need more celebrities. It needs more builders—people focused on creating systems that solve real problems and deliver genuine value. That’s where I can make my most significant contribution.
Moving Forward
For those who organize conferences, I challenge you to reconsider your selection criteria. Your attendees deserve speakers who can deliver genuine value, not just entertainment.
For those who attend conferences, demand more. Ask tough questions. Evaluate speakers on the substance of their insights, not the size of their following.
And for those of us building in the AI space, let’s remember that our most meaningful impact comes not from stages or spotlights, but from the solutions we create and the problems we solve.
The future of AI won’t be built by those who talk about it most eloquently. It will be built by those who roll up their sleeves and do the work. That’s where I’m focusing my energy. That’s where I belong.
