Conveners
Are AI Infrastructures Aligned with User Needs?: BoF
- Chris de Loof (BELNET)
- Anca Hienola (Finnish Meteorological Institute)
- Daniela Brauner (GÉANT)
- Ines Vodopivec (AI4LAM)
Description
AI Factories and large‑scale AI infrastructures are being deployed rapidly across Europe. However, many user communities - particularly in research, education, environmental sciences and cultural heritage - are not yet structurally organised to engage with these facilities in a sustainable and effective way. This raises a critical question: how do we avoid building advanced AI infrastructure without clearly aligned and supported user communities?
This Birds of a Feather session brings together representatives from three research user communities - Destination Earth, ENVRI (environmental sciences), and cultural heritage - that have explicitly expressed the need for access to AI facilities. The session will explore how these communities are currently involved in strategic planning, onboarding, and service design, and where gaps remain.
In parallel, representatives from three service and infrastructure providers - GÉANT, Internet2, and PCSS - will share their perspectives on connecting AI facilities with research communities. These organisations pursue a common goal: enabling seamless, trusted and scalable access to AI infrastructure through NRENs and associated services.
The BoF will also reflect on concrete initiatives and deployments, including GÉANT’s EuroHPC Hyperconnectivity work, Internet2’s experience with hyperscaler connectivity for AI research, and PCSS insights into AI Factory infrastructures and their relationship with NRENs. Rather than promoting specific solutions, the session aims to jointly explore emerging NREN strategies for AI and to surface practical lessons from both providers and users.
