GHOST DAY 2026
On May 8 and 9, the Lecture Center of Poznan University of Technology will host GHOST Day 2026: Applied Machine Learning Conference.
In an era where "AI" has become a buzzword often stripped of its technical weight, GHOST Day: Applied Machine Learning Conference stands as a beacon for those who value engineering depth. What started as a "horribly optimistic" initiative by students at Poznan University of Technology has evolved into a premier European event, attracting researchers from ETH Zürich, Meta, and Mistral AI. This is not just another tech talk—it is a space where scientific rigor meets real-world implementation. We sat down with the organizers to discuss the evolution of the "GHOST" spirit and why 2026 is the year to move past the hype and focus on what truly works.
Michał Podlewski: What exactly is GHOST DAY, and what is the story behind your intriguing name?
Piotr Wyrwiński (GHOST’s Supervisor): GHOST stands for Group of Horribly Optimistic STatisticians, and the name actually tells our origin story pretty well. It started when Mateusz Lango Ph.D. was teaching Statistics at Poznan University of Technology. A group of ambitious students wanted to go beyond the curriculum, and since Mateusz was doing his PhD in machine learning, he pointed them toward Andrew Ng’s famous ML course on Coursera. That naturally turned into regular meetings, and those meetings grew into what became the GHOST research group. The name stuck because it captures that initial spirit of students who were, let’s say, horribly optimistic about how far a statistics background and sheer enthusiasm could take them in ML. Turns out, pretty far.
Today GHOST is a student organization focused on studying and conducting research in machine learning. Every semester we run study groups and project teams covering different areas of ML. This semester, for example, we have sections on topics ranging from TinyML and quantum computing for ML, through LLMs and robotics, to a team building a flood prediction system using deep learning and satellite imagery. You might have also come across us at hackathons, Kaggle competitions, or other conferences.
GHOST Day: Applied Machine Learning Conference is our flagship event. The idea is to create a friendly, energetic space where ML enthusiasts can exchange experiences and stay current in a field that moves incredibly fast. Our speakers include researchers publishing at top venues like NeurIPS or ICML and experts from companies building real ML-powered products. The conference isn’t tied to any specific programming language or tech stack; it’s about techniques, methods, and algorithms. We also see it as a gateway for talented engineers who want to enter the world of AI, through intermediate-level talks, a poster session where attendees can present their own work, and direct contact with companies in the industry.
The 'Applied' subtitle seems to be a core promise. Is this a clear signal that you focus on real-world implementations and problem-solving rather than just abstract theory?
Szymon Czajkowski (Project Leader): Definitely yes - the name Applied Machine Learning Conference is, for us, a commitment not to remain solely in the realm of theory. While strong academic foundations are extremely important to us (after all, we come from Poznan University of Technology), one of our key goals is to demonstrate how these advanced concepts actually “work” in the real world.
That “Applied” aspect is the core of our community. We want participants to leave GHOST Day with the feeling that AI is not just fascinating theory found in research papers, but above all a practical tool they can use in their own projects. We combine scientific rigor with practical know-how, because we believe that only this combination enables the creation of effective solutions that truly make an impact.
Who is your primary audience? Is the program strictly designed for Computer Science students, or is there room for anyone passionate about the future of tech?
Jakub Bilski (Marketing Team): When we think of “the future of tech” in 2026, our attention most likely turns to the term “artificial intelligence.” The spark that ignited all this momentum was undoubtedly the release of ChatGPT in 2022. This has clear advantages - the AI/ML industry has accelerated at a pace that previous generations of engineers could only dream of for decades. Today, AI permeates almost every field and has become one of the primary directions of technological development.
At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that with popularity comes a certain degree of superficiality. AI is often reduced to simple, flashy applications that perform well in the media, but do not necessarily reflect the true complexity of the field. As a result, discussions can easily become oversimplified, leading to misconceptions about what artificial intelligence really is - with Machine Learning being a core component of it.
GHOST Day existed long before AI entered the mainstream, and this largely defines the character of our conference. GHOST Day is an engineering- and research-oriented event, aimed primarily at people who already have a certain foundation and want to take the next step. After all, conferences are not about testing your knowledge, but about expanding it.
That’s why we don’t close the door to anyone, and computer science is not the only valid background. Analysts, statisticians, and engineers from other disciplines are equally welcome. However, we do expect a certain level of technological maturity. To avoid any misunderstandings, we are always transparent: GHOST Day is not a course on using commercial AI tools. We will not be teaching how to generate funny videos or how to chat with bots.
This year’s agenda is incredibly diverse—covering everything from LLM error detection and precision oncology to AI in boxing and autonomous waste collection. How did you manage to bridge such different fields into one cohesive program?
Szymon Czajkowski (Project Leader): Our philosophy is simple: we are building an event designed to be a space for every technology enthusiast, regardless of what they are currently working on. We want to unite diverse interests under the banner of AI and ML, creating one shared community.
That is why, alongside medicine or sports, the program includes topics as varied as Self-Supervised Learning—which involves teaching models to draw conclusions without labeled datasets—and neuromorphic systems, which draw inspiration directly from the biological structure of the brain. We discuss model reliability, but also very practical implementations, such as the automated analysis of millions of documents using vision-language models.
It is precisely this diversity that ensures GHOST Day is not just another closed-off conference for a narrow group of specialists. We believe that despite various technical challenges, it is this exchange of experience and shared passion that builds our unique community.
Your lineup includes experts from giants like Meta and Mistral AI, alongside researchers from top-tier institutions like ETH Zürich, University of Edinburgh, and Charles University. How did you manage to bring speakers who regularly publish at NeurIPS and ICML to Poznań?
Wiktor Kamzela (Speakers Coordinator): Each year, we strive to build an agenda that is, above all, as engaging as possible - we look for individuals who not only conduct cutting-edge research but are also eager to share their knowledge and inspire others. The fact that our invited speakers include experts who publish at top-tier conferences is the result of tremendous effort from the entire organizing team.
The greatest recognition of our work is that many speakers are not only willing to return as participants, but also choose to collaborate with us and recommend our event to their peers, who later become speakers themselves. The conference continues to grow year by year, allowing us to invite individuals who, just a few years ago, might not have even considered attending a conference organized by students from Poznań - and who now see us as a compelling alternative to mainstream conferences.
There will be several partner booths on-site. Is this a good opportunity for attendees to bring their CVs and discuss specific job openings or internships?
Adam Dobosz (Sponsors Coordinator): Absolutely! At the sponsor booths, participants will be able to speak directly with company representatives and learn about current job and internship opportunities. This year, exhibitors include (in alphabetical order): Allegro, AMD, Datarabbit, Google, and Pearson.
GHOST Day attracts top students and AI/ML professionals, making it one of the largest concentrations of talent in this field in Poland. Companies are well aware of this and treat the event as a genuine recruitment opportunity, while participants - both those taking their first steps in the industry and experienced specialists - see it as a chance to explore career opportunities.
Conferences are more than just lectures. What are your plans for integrating the community? Will there be networking sessions or social events to talk to the experts face-to-face?
Lidia Wiśniewska (Finance and Logistics Coordinator): Absolutely. We believe that the most valuable ideas are born at the intersection of different perspectives, often in more informal settings. That’s why, after the first day of inspiring talks, we are inviting our participants to a networking event in the center of Poznań. Our goal is to create a space for casual exchange of experiences and for establishing relationships that last for years, and perhaps even evolve into collaborative projects in the future.
Additionally, the agenda for both days includes short coffee and networking breaks. These are the perfect moments to discuss the talks or simply to catch up with others in the industry.
Finally, I would like to ask you to invite the readers of fast-takeoff.com (and beyond) to take part in your event—I personally invite you to attend as well!
Jędrzej Ogrodowski (Marketing Coordinator): We invite you to GHOST Day: AMLC 2026 - a great opportunity to see what research teams from the top institutions mentioned above are working on, connect with others, and further develop your interests. Ahead of us are two days full of inspiring talks, conversations with experts, knowledge sharing, good coffee—and more. The event will take place on May 8–9 at the Lecture Center of Poznan University of Technology. See you there!
Join us: https://ghostday.pl/#tickets
