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This October, Picsellia attended the Big Data and AI Paris 2024. Before I take you through our journey at the event, Henrik, Valentin and Victor say hi!
What started with two weeks of designing booth walls, printing coffee cups, and endless banter, ended with two packed days at one of the biggest Big Data & AI conferences in Paris at the Porte de Versailles. While Picsellia has attended other AI conferences (see the World AI Cannes Festival), each event gives our team a fresh perspective on the artificial intelligence market. I decided to write this blog to document the ongoing journey of our company and highlight how each event marks another milestone for us. 😀
(This one was a special experience for me as an intern—it was my first big conference with the team, and I had a front-row seat to everything that makes Picsellia, well, Picsellia. And seeing the whole team in action was as exciting as it was insightful.)
Beyond the Hype
Walking the event floor, it was clear that generative AI was the main attraction, with “Chat with Your Data” applications lighting up the crowd’s curiosity. As Thibaut, our CEO, observed, this enthusiasm around LLMs was a double-edged sword. It’s great because more people are realizing the untapped value in their data, which could empower employees who have traditionally relied on data engineering teams for insights. But behind the hype, there’s a complex data structure that needs to be in place for real impact. Thibaut’s takeaway? Hopefully, next year the event will lean a bit more towards the tech side of things rather than letting the business buzz drown out the complexities of what’s under the hood.
Henrik, Head of Marketing, also saw this theme play out as he walked around. He pointed out that while Big Data & AI Paris is one of the major events for France, it’s clear that there’s still room for AI events to balance between market trends and actionable applications. “I hope we see more real use cases next year, not just GenAI, but more mundane AI applications too,” he said. “Computer vision and practical AI tools aren’t getting the spotlight they deserve, and it’s something we know really well.”
Our Niche: Computer Vision
Our focus on computer vision turned out to be a unique selling point. Everywhere we looked, companies were showcasing LLMs and chatbots, while Picsellia was one of the few that specialized in image-based AI solutions. It was so refreshing to see how this intrigued people who came by our booth. As Victor, our Sales Executive, put it, “The sheer amount of conversations across different industries and use cases was amazing. And every time I talked about our solutions, people would say, ‘This is exactly what we tried to build!’” That kind of feedback proved that while LLMs are having their moment, there’s an equally important space for AI tools like Picsellia that solve specific, visual problems for businesses.
Victor was thrilled by the attention, though he admitted he missed the global atmosphere of WAICF, where he often meets people from all over the world with fresh perspectives. Big Data & AI Paris gave us great insights into the French market, but it was clear that a broader audience would bring even more diverse ideas to the table.
Coffee and Conversation
One of the most memorable aspects of our booth this year was a simple way of serving coffee. For everyone who wanted a coffee, we posed a question: “Your model is not performing well, how do you fix it?” It turned out to be the ultimate icebreaker.
Valentin, our Solutions Engineer, noticed that Picsellia stood out as one of the few startups dedicated specifically to image-based AI, especially in a crowd dominated by data platforms and generative AI solutions. He also saw great potential in connecting more deeply with customers and prospects next year. In his words, “It’s about building a community around Picsellia for such events.” Reflecting on the event, he felt our demo session was a huge success, bringing tangible value to everyone who attended.
The Demo
Our Chief Technical Officer, Pierre-Nicolas, hosted a live demo session that became one of the event highlights. He covered MLOps and how to apply it specifically to computer vision, which immediately drew over a hundred attendees. I remember seeing the audience, a mix of engineers, business leaders, and tech enthusiasts, captivated by his approach. He laid out the complexities of MLOps in a way that intrigued both technical and non-technical minds alike, which is no easy feat in this industry.
Pierre-Nicolas found it fascinating that while there were so many new platforms and tools on display, the event had fewer overall providers compared to previous years. He mentioned that this shows signs of a market maturing and consolidating—something that made his demo even more impactful. People were there to listen, learn, and truly absorb the practical knowledge he was sharing.
And Pierre-Nicolas noticed an interesting trend: nobody seemed to be discussing traditional deep learning or standard AI as heavily anymore, at least from a marketing perspective. This actually played in our favor, because it drew attention to our niche in computer vision and the stronghold we’ve built as experts in that field.
What’s next?
This event was one such moment where you would get to see each of my teammates in their element, contributing to making Picsellia’s approach to AI one of a kind. From Pierre-Nicolas’ inspiring demo, and Victor and Valentin’s hands-on engagement with attendees, each person had a part to play in making this event memorable for everyone we connected with.
Big Data & AI Paris 2024 was a powerful reminder of what makes Picsellia special: we’re not just riding the wave of whatever’s trending; we’re committed to solving real problems with practical, image-based AI. Don’t forget to book your demo with us 🙂 Cheers!
