The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Research: Matej Antol on AI at Google Leaders Connect
On Monday, May 20, the prestigious Google AI Leaders Connect event took place at the historic Martinic Palace in Prague, bringing together experts from the fields of artificial intelligence, research, business, and public administration.
The event was hosted by František Štrupl, Country Director of Google Czech Republic. It featured keynote speeches by Ronit Levavi Morad, Senior Director of Research at Google, Jan Kavalírek, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, and Lukáš Kačena, Director of prg.ai association. Attendees gained up-to-date insights into how AI shapes Czech science, the economy, and innovation. Moreover, the gathering encouraged meaningful dialogue between technology leaders and the research community.
A notable contribution came from Matej Antol from Masaryk University, who spoke with moderator Michaela Hergetová about the future use of AI in scientific research in the Czech Republic. He discussed current practices in research data management and the support provided by the e-INFRA CZ and the EOSC Czech Republic initiatives. He highlighted the AlphaFind tool, developed in collaboration between CERIT-SC, the Faculty of Informatics, and CEITEC at Masaryk University. This tool enables the searching of structural protein data generated by the breakthrough AI system AlphaFold, which was awarded the Nobel Prize.
“Systematic improvement in research data management is crucial today. The EOSC CZ initiative is focused on making research data in the Czech Republic more findable, accessible, and interoperable, especially to ensure it can be effectively reused. This collective progress, driven by hundreds of researchers and experts, paves the way for broader and more meaningful use of AI tools. The result will be faster and higher-quality scientific progress,” said Matej Antol.
The Google AI Leaders Connect event provided an essential platform for exchanging experiences and insights among leading experts. The active involvement of Masaryk University, represented by Matej Antol, confirms that the Czech research community is keeping pace with global trends and significantly contributing to innovation in artificial intelligence.
