CroAI (Croatian AI Association)

Product managers live and breathe user needs, problem-solving, and impact. But let’s be honest, their jobs are very complex. Prioritization is messy, decision-making is high-stakes, and time is always running out. ⏳ Now, AI is stepping into the picture. It’s fast, data-driven, and always available. But can it actually help PMs in becoming better PMs, or is it just another tool in the stack? 🤔 At our upcoming Product Club #15, we’re going beyond the hype to talk about real impact. No generic AI tool lists, no futuristic predictions, only real-life experiences! 🚀 To tackle this topic, we will be joined by two seasoned product professionals: Vlatka Šipoš, Partner at Resonate, a product innovation company, and Sandro Bujan, Artificial Intelligence Research Lead at Devōt, focused on bridging product management and AI. 📅 March 25th, 18:00h 📍 Devōt HQs (Ede Murtića 2c, 8th floor) 🔗 Apply here: https://lu.ma/4s8dfyyg Let’s discover how AI can help us build better products! ✨ Shoutout to our friends at Devōt for hosting us! 🧡 Majana Havranek Ante Sladojevic Kruno Kereta

Full house for our first CroAI Meetup of the year "Ask AZOP, before AZOP asks you"! 🙌 🎉 Yesterday evening was all about the Croatian Data Protection Authority-Agencija za zaštitu osobnih podataka, the AI Act, its impact and affect on EU & Croatian businesses, compliance and avoiding potential fines. 🔥 After the introductory speeches of our Executive Director Lorena Baric & Board Member Davor Anicic, the exclusive fireside chat with Anamarija Mladinić (AZOP, Council of Europe), moderated by Stefan Martinić (LL.M. Harvard Law School), gave us a clear look into the regulatory landscape, practical steps for compliance, and the challenges of aligning AI development with legal requirements. The discussion was full of great questions, useful insights, and a lively debate on how companies can get ready before regulators step in. 🚀 As always, we mixed business with pleasure - and a little wine, mingling the night away at our office. As one of our attendees said "We came for AI regulations, but stayed for the great company!". 😉 🥂 Thank you to everyone who joined and made the first meetup of 2025 a success! ❤️ #CroAI #AIAct #DataProtection #Regulation #AZOP This thematic conference is being organized with the support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development as part of the Thematic Systemic Support under the theme "Artificial Intelligence and Social Development." 📸 Tomislav Jeffrey Jemric

[APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN 🎉] We’re kicking off the Google.org AI Opportunity Fund in Croatia with our first free & certified AI course in Zagreb! 🇭🇷 📅 Start date: Wednesday, April 2nd 📍 Location: Zagreb (online or in person) 📝 Applications close: March 21st, 12:00h The 4-week AI course is designed for: young unemployed job seekers, women returning to the workforce & low-skilled workers in administrative & customer support roles. With AI reshaping the job market, we’re providing practical, hands-on training to help participants adapt and thrive. The program includes: 📚 Certified curriculum – MinnaLearn: Elements of AI for Business 🛠️ Interactive lectures & workshops 🎓 Certificate upon completion 👩🏫 Mentorship & real-world AI applications 📖 All materials available in Croatian 💡 Financial aid available to remove participation barriers 🔗 ➡️ APPLY NOW: https://lnkd.in/dZ6JtV-f Applications for the Zagreb course are closing on March 21st, 12:00h. ⏳ Before applying, make sure to read the informative booklet & application form carefully. For more information or details, reach out to us at education@croai.org 📩 Join us and be part of the future of work! 💡 #AIForEveryone #FutureOfWork #GoogleAIOpportunityFund #CroAI This programme is funded by the Centre for Public Impact with support from the Google.org AI Opportunity Fund.

[CroAI BOARD IN ACTION 🐝] February flew by, and our board members were writing, speaking, debating, and making sure AI stays a hot topic. Here’s what went down: Ive Botunac and Davor Anicic teamed up with Lider media to create the AI Alphabet, a simple guide to help understand the world of AI. Meanwhile, Damir First was regular on HRT,  jumping into Dnevnik twice - first to break down Macron’s AI push and the EU’s changing stance on regulation, and then to unpack what the latest Ipsos Hrvatska research says about Croatia’s AI landscape. He also joined HRT Art to talk about AI in the film industry. Over at Netokracija, Davor Anicic tackled a big question on the "Slažem se…NE" podcast: Is Trump good for tech? A lively debate, to say the least. Our president, Martina Silov, sat down with Grazia to talk about CroAI’s journey, women in AI, and how Croatia’s AI ecosystem is growing. And because AI is all about learning, Damir First took the stage at Dani e-učenja Rijeka to introduce educators to AI se educiraj and how AI is reshaping the classroom. That’s a wrap for February. Let’s see what March brings! 🤗

It's almost Money Motion time again! 💸 🙌 Money Motion has become the largest CEE FinTech event, and as such has become the gathering point for over 700 companies and 3500 professionals, blending diverse expertise from the financial and technological sector. 🚀 We're happy to join them once again this year and continue exploring the endless possibilities FinTech has to offer! If you take a small peak at the agenda, you will see that AI also found its way to the big stage. 👀 If there is anything you are curious about regarding CroAI, find us at MoMo2025 and let's connect! 🤝 A little bird also told us CroAI members get a special 20% discount. 😉 🎟️ ➡️ More infos about the agenda, speakers, tickets, are all available here: https://lnkd.in/d96FAm38 See you there! 👋 😎

Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI” and the 2024 physics Nobel laureate, draws a powerful parallel between AI and the Industrial Revolution. “This I think it will have a huge influence. It will be comparable with the industrial revolution. But instead of exceeding people in physical strength, it’s going to exceed people in intellectual ability.” This time, however, machines aren’t just surpassing human physical capabilities—they’re challenging our intellectual prowess. As AI continues to evolve, critical questions arise: • Who will hold knowledge? • Who will control decision-making? • How will we define intelligence itself? On March 9, Hinton will join the Nobel Prize Dialogue in Tokyo to discuss “The Future of Life” in an AI-driven world. Join the livestream and be part of this dialogue. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/esviBVDR

CroAI Meetup alert - Ask AZOP, before AZOP asks you! Regulatory challenges, especially when it comes to compliance, have been a big topic in the EU for a while now. With the implementation of the AI Act on its way, the question is: are you ready? 🤔 What does this new regulation mean for AI entrepreneurs, innovators, and institutions in Croatia and the EU? How can we balance data protection with AI development while competing in the global race against the U.S. and China? 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 The European Union aims to be a global leader in AI regulation, but could strict rules stifle innovation? While the U.S. relies on market-driven mechanisms and China takes a state-led approach, the EU is attempting to carve out its own path. The recent AI Summit in France brought new guidelines and discussions about the future of AI regulation in Europe. How will these recommendations shape the AI Act, and can Europe remain in the race against tech giants? 🚀 Join us for our first CroAI Meetup of 2025, with an exclusive fireside chat with Anamarija Mladinić, Head of the EU, International Cooperation, and Legal Affairs Department at Croatian Data Protection Authority-Agencija za zaštitu osobnih podataka and Vice-Chair of the Convention 108 Committee at the Council of Europe, moderated by Stefan Martinić, LL.M. Harvard Law School, a legal expert specializing in law and technology. 🎤 🗓️ Tuesday, March 11th I 18.00h 📍 CroAI HQs (Zavrtnica 17) 🔗 https://lu.ma/b7ret0o1 Don’t miss your chance to ask AZOP, before AZOP asks you! 😉 #CroAI #Meetup #AIAct #DataProtection This thematic conference is being organized with the support of the National Foundation for Civil Society Development as part of the Thematic Systemic Support under the theme "Artificial Intelligence and Social Development."

Our member, Hrvatski Telekom, is partnering up with Perplexity, and giving away 20,000 free annual licenses for Perplexity Pro, the most advanced AI assistant! 🎉 Perplexity Pro is more than just an AI chatbot, it’s a smart conversational search engine that: ✅ Provides precise, direct, and personalized answers ✅ Combines the best global AI models (GPT-4o, DeepSeek, Grok, Gemini…) ✅ Enables 500 searches per day and document uploads ✅ Always cites reliable sources to ensure accuracy 🔑 How to get your free license? Claim your Magenta Moments code via the "Moj Telekom" app, available to everyone, regardless of the operator! Been looking for a reason to start exploring AI? Well, here it is - try Perplexity Pro and see how AI can transform the way you search, learn, and work. 🚀 📲 More info: https://lnkd.in/dc2uthrP

[HEROES' STORIES 🦸🏻] In just over a month, we’ve had eight wonderful sessions in schools across Croatia. What makes these talks special? They’re not about AI or tech. They’re about real career stories - straight from people who’ve been there, made choices (good and bad), and figured things out along the way. From Zabok to Vukovar, Zagreb to Slavonski Brod, our mentors have shared their journeys, showing students that no career is a straight line and that the best way to prepare for the future is to stay open to change. Where we’ve been so far: 📍 Škola za umjetnost, dizajn, grafiku i odjeću Zabok – Otokar Crnalic (Art Division) 📍 Gimnazija Vukovar – Feđa Ivanšić (Barrage) 📍 OŠ "Ivan Kozarac" Vukovar – Zvonimir Kišurek & Dominik Kajba (Daidream) 📍 Matija Gubec International School – Anna Danes 📍 Gimnazija Lucijana Vranjanina Zagreb – Damir First (CroAI (Croatian AI Association)) 📍 OŠ Trpinja Vukovar – Zvonimir Kišurek & Dominik Kajba (Daidream) 📍 Strojarska tehnička škola Frana Bošnjakovića Zagreb – Darko Jovisic Jovišić (Robotiq.ai) 📍 Industrijsko-obrtnička škola Slavonski Brod – Ana Šunić (HIDROCIBALAE) The feedback? Incredible. Students tell us they’ve never had a conversation like this before. Teachers say it’s exactly what their students need. And mentors? They leave just as inspired as the students.

A novel branch of computational simulation technology emerged a few years ago and has been rapidly developed and utilized for increasingly complex problems. 🛠️ Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) leverage the growing popularity and efficiency of GPU-parallelized machine learning models to provide a universal approach for solving numerical physical problems. 🚀 At our upcoming ML Pub Club, together with Hrvoje Abraham, we will dive into: an abstract and specific approach to reducing a problem to optimization, an explanation of the basic principles and examples behind PINNs, and taking an educated guess on the future development of this technology and its significance. 🗣️ Hrvoje graduated in theoretical physics from the University of Zagreb / Sveučilište u Zagrebu, after which he continued to expand his core research and engineering skills at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. He has been involved with software throughout his entire educational and professional life, having had the opportunity to work in the financial sector, lead a technology startup company, and currently serves as the Department Manager for Advanced Simulation Technologies at the Austrian technology giant AVL. 🗓️ March 4th 2025 🕢 18:00 - 20:00 📍 CroAI HQs (Zavrtnica 17) 🔗 https://lu.ma/j6xjrnk0 Davor Anicic Ivan Borko Matija Ilijaš