On 7 and 8 August 2025, the Cape Town International Convention Centre will host AI Empowered (AIE), inspired by EO Cape Town, a new summit with a fresh approach, designed to demystify artificial intelligence and explore its growing influence on the way we live, learn, work, and lead.

AIE is not just a tech event. It’s a two-day experience curated for entrepreneurs, professionals, educators, creatives and the simply AI-curious. With a human-first lens, the summit makes AI accessible, relevant and actionable, whether you’re looking to drive business growth, reimagine your workflow, or just understand what’s coming next.

Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, will open the summit with a keynote exploring AI’s potential to boost skills development and streamline public service delivery in the region. He’ll be followed by a powerful line-up of international and local experts delivering keynotes, panels, masterclasses and interactive training sessions.

What sets AIE apart, is its commitment to inspire with real-world case studies, exceptional global and local innovations and controversial debates. We’re not speculating about someday, we’re showing you what’s happening now, what’s around the corner in 2027, and what might blow your mind by 2030.

Why attend?

AI is rapidly transforming everything from how we do business to how we access healthcare, education and entertainment. But with so much hype and confusion, it can be hard to keep up. AIE is your chance to get ahead of the curve, understand what’s at stake, and learn how to harness AI to stay competitive, creative, and future-fit. AIE is where curiosity meets clarity. AIE cuts through the noise to reveal the real, practical impact of AI on your world. 

This two-day conference is designed with intention: day one focuses on business, while day two shifts the spotlight to life and the way we live.

Day 1: How AI will flip the way you work, sell, market, hire, create, invest and manage your finances. Real case studies. Real strategies. Real inspiration. Radio host, Africa Melane (CapeTalk and 702) will guide the day as our host.

Day 2: Zooms out: the big-picture trends that’ll shape the world you live (and work and play and love and survive) in, from cities and climate change, to education, health and wellness, ethics, and the dark corners where fraud lurks.

If you want to know how AI will impact every corner of your life, you’re in the right place. Let’s get smart, stay curious, and maybe freak out just a little bit (but in a good way).

With over 1,500 attendees expected per day, three dynamic stages, live demonstrations, networking events, and interactive activations, AIE is shaping up to become a must-attend on the African innovation calendar.

Speaker Highlights – Phase 1 Line-up:

• Gianni Giacomelli (Berlin), Head of Design Innovation, MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, in conversation (virtual) with Catherine Lückhoff, Co-founder and CEO at 20fifty.
• Derek Wilcocks, CIO of Discovery Limited, on AI innovations in healthcare.
• Jarred Cinman, Chief Executive Officer, VML South Africa, on how AI is transforming the creative workforce and workplace.
• Nazareen Ebrahim, AI Ethics and Policy practitioner and Top 100 Brilliant Women in AI, on AI in Tourism.
• Musa Kalenga, Group CEO of Brave Group and former Client Partner at Facebook Africa, on innovations in the creative industries.
• Matthias Bellmann (Bavaria), CEO of Passion.io, on ‘How I generated $50 million on social media without showing my face’.
• Chris Shortt, CTO, Shoprite Group, on AI in retail.
• Emma Sadleir, Founder and CEO of The Digital Law Company, on Legal and Ethical Considerations for using AI.
• Nevo Hadas, Founder and Managing Partner, DYDX on ‘Consulting the Future: How the experts see the next wave’. 
• Tamir Kessel, ClimateTech Cultivator, on bringing Climate AI to market.
• Deshni Govender, Country lead: AI for International Development and named 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics on AI in education. 
• Jos Dirkx (Netherlands), Global AI Strategist, Best-Selling Author, Top 100 Women in AI and Inventor, on Convergence: How exponential tech and trends shape our future world.
• Archana Arakkal, Practice Lead, Intelligent Data Division, Synthesis, on AI in healthcare.

Cape Town’s global appeal, natural beauty, and booming tech and business culture make it the ideal home for AI Empowered, and the perfect reason to extend your stay for the weekend.

Tickets start at R3,600 for the two days, and are on sale now at www.aiempowered.co.za

#AIEmpowered #EOCapeTown

Follow AIE for updates:

• Instagram: @aiempowered_sa
• Facebook: @aiempoweredsa
• X: @AI_EmpoweredSA
• LinkedIn: AI Empowered SA

AIE is proudly inspired by Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Cape Town, in partnership with CapeTalk, Daily Maverick, and One-eyed Jack.