Not every app needs a multi-billion-parameter AI model. In fact, not every company needs a chatbot. But when was the last time you saw an AI talk that wasn’t about GPT?

This session is a reality check and a practical guide for software developers who want to build AI-powered features that address real business problems without relying on huge, closed models behind an API. We’ll explore how small, specialized AI models can outperform their giant cousins in real-world use cases, especially when speed, privacy, cost, or edge deployment matter.

I'll share lessons learned from years of deploying AI in production and walk through examples where lightweight models delivered powerful results. You'll also learn about open-source tooling, model compression tricks and how to think practically about AI integration. If you want to ship something smart without selling your soul to the big AI model providers, this talk is for you.