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| 4,000 chairs ready to be filled (and 5,000 people actually attended!) |
Learning, Connecting, Inventing: Start Software at World Summit AI 2025, Amsterdam
The Start Software team headed to Amsterdam for this year’s World Summit AI — two days of ideas, debate, and discovery. We went to learn, connect and invent, and we came back with new insights, connections, and inspiration for how AI can continue to transform our work and our clients’ businesses.
Two special people joined our group. Legacy Software Manager Mickey from our partner CTT Group, and Start's remote developer Fatbardh, our first chance to meet Fatbardh in person.
Early starts, big ideas
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| Jack & Catherine walking into the venue |
There’s something about starting early in a new city — daybreak walks through Amsterdam’s quiet streets before the day’s ideas and conversations begin. The energy built fast as we joined 4,000+ attendees all focused on the same thing: where AI is heading next.
It’s all about time
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| The message was clear - AI should be used to amplify creavity and make the most of our time |
One of the most thought-provoking keynote themes was time — how AI changes the way we use it, save it, and sometimes waste it. The message was clear: use AI to amplify creativity and productivity, not to simply automate for its own sake.
The vibe: coding, agents, and creativity
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| Lucas, Melika & Jack at an Agentic AI booth - a theme of the event |
Every booth buzzed with conversation about AI agents, security, and how best to integrate human oversight into systems. We saw demos that pushed boundaries — from autonomous data explorers to tools generating design ideas live. The shared goal was clear: keep humans in the loop, but let AI do the heavy lifting.
Teamwork and collaboration
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| Start Software are an AWS partner - so we borrowed their both for the group photo! |
We made time to connect with partners like AWS, learning about their newest AI services and discussing future integrations. Huge thanks to Kim and Adam for support from the UK — teamwork that kept things running smoothly while we were away.
“Seeing how others weave AI into live business systems — not just labs — pushes our thinking forward. Our challenge now is translating that into wins for our clients.”
— Robin
It’s about time… and teamwork
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| It's about time - and interesting cars! |
In between sessions, the team found some light-hearted inspiration in a DeLorean time machine exhibit. Fittingly, this year’s summit theme — It’s About Time — reflected our belief that AI should give people time back to focus on what matters most.
Human in the loop: support in action
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| Our 24x7 Support didn't stop just because we were away |
Even while at the conference, real-world teamwork continued. Zac, Dan, and Jack handled a client issue live from the UK — proof that support never stops at Start Software. It’s a great example of “human-led, agent-operated” in practice.
Networking and new perspectives
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| Melika networking with an AI translation business - we service clients worldwide |
Melika spent much of the summit forging new connections — from data scientists and founders to researchers focused on AI ethics. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing were the heartbeat of the event.
Digital Twins and the power of simulation
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| We have been creating and using Digital Twin for nearly two years! |
One standout talk came from H&M’s AI Director on the use of digital twins — virtual models that simulate real-world systems. It resonated with our own experiments in this space and reminded us that simulation can lead to safer, smarter, and more sustainable decision-making.
AI: from big ideas to small starts
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| "AI First" - Robin wishes he had the copyright! |
Across many talks, one quote stood out — one of Robin’s favourites: “AI First.” Not in the sense of replacing people, but of thinking with AI from the start of a project. Begin with purpose, start small, and scale thoughtfully.
Our products: AI in action
We’re already applying lessons like these in our products:
- Alpha Tracker – home to features such as AlphaValidator, Ask Alfie, and FLS-powered scheduling.
- Alpha Legal – secure digital signature and client document portal.
- ecoScribe – AI-assisted ecological report writing.
- roadvlog – simplifying data capture for Clean Up Britain’s litter reporting.
“Every new idea has to pass a simple test: does it help people — or just intrigue engineers?”
— Dan
Reflecting by the water
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| The Norwegian Dawn drifting by |
The venue itself, on Amsterdam’s main waterway, made for a beautiful backdrop. Between sessions, ships and ferries drifted past — a constant reminder of motion, connection, and flow.
Time to relax (and compete!)
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| Zac was seriously fast! |
Even innovators need downtime. We made time to unwind with an F1 simulator — and yes, Zac held his place on the leaderboard all conference long!
Team passes and takeaways
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| Most of the Start Software team were at the event |
These badges tell their own story — of learning, collaboration, and creativity. Each one represents a conversation, a lesson, or a connection we’ll carry forward.
Looking ahead
We’ll be presenting an AI session at Alpha Software Dev Day on 18 November 2025 — sharing what we’ve learned and demonstrating how to design human-in-the-loop systems using Alpha’s tools.
See Alpha Software’s events page for details.
From summit to strategy
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| Robin, Catherine, Dan, Lucas, Mickey, Jack, Zac, Melika, James & Fatbardh |
We came to Amsterdam to explore what’s next. We left convinced that the future belongs to teams who keep learning — and who build AI that stays transparent, trustworthy, and human-led.
Human-led. Agent-operated. AI-first. Transparent.
#WorldSummitAI #StartSoftware #AlphaTracker #AlphaLegal #ecoScribe #AI #HumanInTheLoop #Amsterdam #AlphaDevDay2025
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