Mindstone Bristol March AI Meetup
Welcome to the biggest Practical AI Meetup in Bristol!
Join us once a month as we explore the world of artificial intelligence, its cutting-edge practical applications, and the astonishing projects that are shaping our future.
Why should you attend?
- Get up close and personal with the AI projects that are redefining the boundaries of technology and human potential.
- Learn from the brightest minds in the field and gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving AI landscape.
- Unleash your curiosity, fuel your creativity, and expand your network as you connect with fellow AI aficionados and pioneers.
What you can expect?
Mindstone events consist of three talks covering different aspects:
- What I Learned Building With LLMs: A technical talk breaking down the process for building a product using AI with real-life learnings and insights.
- How To Be More Productive Using AI: A practical demo and step-by-step guide on how to use AI to speed up and improve tasks.
- What Does The Future Look Like With AI?: A theoretical talk on the impact of AI on work, life and society.
After the talks we'll have pizza, drinks, and time to connect with everyone around you.
Don't miss the opportunity to see what's really happening in AI - you'll be surprised at what's already possible today.
We have limited spots available, so get your ticket ahead of time to avoid disappointment!
Agenda
Doors Open
Welcome to the event
Introduction
Welcome and event introduction
Stop Prompt Engineering. Start Context Engineering. by Andrew Bryce
You've heard the advice: "just write better prompts." But the teams getting real results from AI aren't writing better prompts — they're engineering better context. In this talk, you'll learn the difference, and why it matters for every business adopting AI in 2026\. Drawing from building an AI copilot that runs 50+ business skills across three AI models handling everything from meeting prep to deal analysis to automated follow-ups. This session breaks down the practical architecture behind AI that actually works: - Why 80% of AI output quality is decided before the prompt is written - How to design skills and knowledge systems that AI can discover and execute on its own - How to build memory that gets smarter with every conversation - How to route the right context to the right model at the right time - How to create human-in-the-loop patterns that build trust (not frustration) Whether you're running a team of one with ChatGPT or building a full autonomous agent system and you'll walk away with a framework you can apply immediately. This isn't theory. It's what we learned building it.
The Future of AI by Drue Steele
Exploring the near, mid and long term future of AI and how humans will co-exist
In a world of habitual change, what should I leave behind? by Dan Charles
AI is accelerating how we work — but not every acceleration is progress. When AI note-takers replace the act of writing things down, we don't just save time — we lose the cognitive processing that helps us remember and make sense of what was said. When AI summarises, we stop reading. When it drafts, we stop thinking through the first version. This talk explores the uncomfortable flip side of AI adoption: that some of the "inefficiencies" we're racing to eliminate are actually how we learn, retain, and think critically. As leaders, the question isn't just what can AI do for us? — it's what should we insist on still doing ourselves? I'll explore where AI adoption could be quietly intersecting with cognitive decline, and offer a practical framework for making intentional choices about what to automate and what to protect.
Wrap Up
Closing remarks and next steps
Pizza, Drinks & Networking
Casual networking with food and drinks
Speakers
Attendees
Location