Data Makers Fest 2026: AI, Data Quality, and Trusted Solutions

From 4 to 6 May 2026, the international data and artificial intelligence (AI) conference Data Makers Fest 2026 took place in Porto, Portugal, bringing together experts in data engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, analytics, responsible AI and digital transformation of organisations. Data steward from Rīga Stradiņš University Agate Jarmakoviča also participated in the event, representing both the university and the Latvian Data Stewards Network with Mihails Korčevskis (Riga Technical University).

Photo from private archive

The conference programme covered topics such as generative artificial intelligence, AI agents, data quality, large language model (LLM) implementation in production, explainable AI, data platforms, automated quality assessment and AI governance. It was particularly emphasised that successful AI solutions are based not only on technology but also on high-quality data, thoughtful and clear processes, security, human involvement and user acknowledgement.

One of the central findings of the event is – trust in artificial intelligence solutions is not a once-for-all but a gradually built process. In the context of data curation, it starts with high-quality prepared and managed data. Before using data in AI solutions, it is important to assess its completeness, accuracy, documentation, metadata, access conditions, reusability, as well as legal and ethical aspects.

Participation in the conference provided an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest trends in the field of data and artificial intelligence, as well as to facilitate the exchange of experience with representatives of the international community. The lessons learned will be useful in further developing data management and data curation practices in the context of AI in the Latvian research and higher education environment.

The project Support for the implementation of open science in practice, as well as created solutions for science data sharing and participation in the EU open science cloud is financed by the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Latvian state budget. The total project funding amounts to EUR 3 187 867,00.