Hop on the Talent Express for a day at the Talent Arena

We arrived at the TalentArena, ready to enjoy a day of top-level activities and presentations from the digital sector.

In the photo below we are the TalentExpress travelers who wrote this blog, from left to right Joseph Escribano, Juan Manel López, Jed Andrew Asuncion, Daniel Llanos and Ignacio Armendariz. We tell you about the conferences and speakers of the day that inspired us the most.

• Antonio Leiva, Google Developer Expert and JetBrains training partner, gave a talk that was very engaging, and it covered how Kotlin Multiplatform is revolutionizing app development by enabling code reuse across various platforms like Android, iOS, and web. Practical examples were showcased, highlighting the EROSKI and Caprabo application developed by Worldline, a pioneering reference in Spain. Additionally, common challenges, best practices for multiplatform development, and the future role of Kotlin in the evolution of applications were discussed.

• Pilar Manchón, senior director of the technical area at Google, showed us how much the company is betting on AI. It offers various services, from Gemini (which would be the competitor to ChatGPT) to AlphaFold3, the implementation of AI for medical services, and how it helps doctors diagnose diseases with a probability of over 90%. She wanted to make it very clear that we must begin to adapt to AI or we will become obsolete.

• Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón, a doctor in mathematics and a scientific communicator, told us how mathematics is present in all areas of our professional life. As software developers, we should never ignore mathematics if we want to evolve and not get stuck in our careers. AIs are becoming increasingly complex and need mathematics to nurture themselves up to quantum mathematics.

• Miguel Illescas, International Chess Grandmaster and Deep Blue computer consultant at IBM showed us how a machine has not always been more intelligent than a human. Now, any machine/bot with the same capabilities as our phones could potentially defeat the best chess player with relative ease, but before reaching this point, Garry Kasparov beat Deep Blue on several occasions until the same machine managed to win 4-2 in 1997. This was achieved because, unlike the first times, Miguel Illescas collaborated with the team responsible for the creation of Deep Blue as a chess grandmaster, thereby improving it.

• Garry Kasparov – AI Expert & World Chess Champion
  During the conference, he talked about his history, his relationship with AI, his thoughts and vision of the present and future. He shared how technology has evolved from the mid-twentieth century to the present, focused on chess, and how the global population's perspective on technology has changed. He also recounted his experience of being the first person to be defeated by an "intelligent machine," known as "Deep Blue," and how this event transformed his way of thinking.
  
  His reflections on AI suggested that he viewed this new tool positively as a turning point in the world. Instead of focusing solely on the potential negative aspects of these new tools, he highlighted the positive impact they could bring. Throughout much of his speech and during the Q&A, he reinforced the conviction that AI serves to enhance "human capability," and that it should not be feared but embraced.

To conclude

After an intense and long day that allowed us to attend very interesting sessions, we returned to Madrid at night, eager for the next Arena to arrive.