From September 29 to October 4, 2025, Zurich is transforming into Europe’s key hotspot for Artificial Intelligence. The Zurich AI Festival brings together international market leaders, research talents, startups, and artists across more than 25 high-caliber events. For one week, Zurich becomes the showcase of global AI innovations and debates.
Festival gallery
The festival centers on cross-industry themes ranging from medicine and robotics to art, environment, finance, and education. Highlights include the AI+X Summit as the flagship event featuring leading international experts, the AI Policy Summit on future regulations and ethics, the Zurich Robotics & AI Founders Summit, as well as diverse artistic formats and participatory offerings. Renowned speakers from research, industry, and startups are featured – including Yariv Adan (ellipsis), Davide Scaramuzza (University of Zurich), and Annie Hartley (EPFL).
Visitors can expect an interdisciplinary mix of experimental demos, hands-on workshops, live panels, and performance art. Public-facing formats such as “AI, explain the world to me!” and “Hello, AI! Understand. Experience. Shape.” provide accessible entry points into key topics of digitalization and artificial intelligence.
High-level networking and a unique platform
Across more than ten venues – including ETH Zurich, University Hospital, Technopark, Prime Tower, Kunsthaus, and StageOne – decision-makers and innovators from science, industry, politics, and culture come together. Over 5,500 participants from Switzerland, Europe, and overseas are expected, including representatives from Google, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, IBM, leading scientific institutions, and numerous startups.
A standout signal: 23 out of 26 events are already sold out – proof of the enormous interest. The on-site and online community is generating palpable buzz, new connections, and inspired faces. Under the hashtag #ZurichAIFestival, attendees share impressions of high-profile discussions, deep knowledge exchange, and groundbreaking trends. Exclusive networking formats such as the Speakers’ Dinner and Women’s AI Breakfast promote targeted exchanges among investors, founders, and international thought leaders.
Robotics and startups in the spotlight
One special highlight: the close integration of #AI and #robotics was impressively showcased. Leandro von Werra (Hugging Face) demonstrated how the democratization of AI models is transforming robotics applications – and where today’s systems still meet their limits.
At the startup panel in TECHNOPARK® Zurich, young companies such as Laelaps AI, miros, and Flexion Robotics presented their innovations, moderated by Dr. Christian Hugo Hoffmann. This panel (photo attached) also marked the first major co-organization with the AI Startup Center, in collaboration with SICTIC and Amazon Web Services (AWS) – a milestone for networking within the ecosystem.
Responsible AI – from principle to practice
Another focus: Responsible AI. It became clear that #ResponsibleAI is not a checklist, but an ongoing process of iteration, transparency, and collaboration. In workshops hosted by the Swiss Centre for Responsible AI, key challenges were highlighted:
- #Complexity: AI operates in uncertain environments – governance must be adaptive and holistic.
- #Trust: Auditability, data protection, and accountability are essential, but must not hinder applicability.
- #DataBias: Bias cannot be eliminated completely, but it can be exposed and managed.
- #Shared literacy: Developers, managers, and users need a common language.
- #Social impact: Beyond compliance, it’s about jobs, skills, and trust in institutions.
Self-critical voices
Zurich is a global deep-tech hub with world-class startups in robotics, drones, and hardware. Yet some founders still struggle to find local investors who understand the language of hardware – the “language of atoms, not just bits.” This reflection underlines how important formats like the Zurich AI Festival are to build new bridges between capital, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Visibility, diversity, and impact
A content highlight was the Top 100+ Women in AI & Data Report, presented at the festival’s opening. It spotlights pioneers from industry, startups, and academia – deliberately limited to just over one hundred names. Melanie Gabriel (COO ETH AI Center) emphasizes:
“The biggest challenge was not finding enough candidates, but making the selection. Visibility creates role models that inspire – especially for young talent. But it’s not just about women, it’s about diversity as a whole.”
Greater Zurich Area in the international spotlight
With this festival, Zurich makes a strong statement as Europe’s AI capital. Sabine Müller, Deputy CEO of Greater Zurich Area AG, says:
“With the first Zurich AI Festival, the Zurich economic region gains an international format that can compete with events such as TechWeek in London, Robotics Week in Boston, VivaTech in Paris, and SusHi Tech Tokyo.” Zurich is thus making it clear: innovation, cutting-edge research, and economic strength converge here at the highest level – and the region intends to shine on the international stage.
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