2026 Workshops
Registered attendees will receive information on how to sign up for the workshops closer to the day of conference. Keep an eye out for an email!
When AI “Works” but Still Fails: The Safety Problem
When AI “Works” but Still Fails: The Safety Problem
AI safety isn't abstract -- it's a judgment call that data scientists make every day, often without realizing it. In this interactive workshop, you'll work through five real-world scenarios involving AI systems that failed, behaved unexpectedly, or created harm despite working exactly as designed. Through small-group discussion, we'll surface why these situations are genuinely hard -- and why the disagreements matter. We'll close by connecting those practical tensions to CSA's Trusted AI Safety Expert (TAISE) certificate developed in collaboration with Northeastern University. No prior AI safety knowledge required.
Participation requirements: No laptop or software needed. Attendees should be prepared to discuss real scenarios in small groups.
Larry Hughes
Vice President of Research and Development at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)
Larry Hughes is the Vice President of Research and Development at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), where he leads global research programs focused on cloud and AI security. In this role, Larry oversees CSA's portfolio of research initiatives spanning AI Safety, the AI Controls Matrix (AICM), the Security Trust Assurance and Risk (STAR) program, including STAR for AI, and several dozen more.
With 30 years of experience in the security industry, including 10 years in security Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Larry brings deep practitioner expertise to CSA's mission of developing vendor-neutral guidance that helps organizations navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of cloud and AI risk. His work spans the full research lifecycle -- from working group formation and publication development to compliance automation and control mapping.
Larry holds the CCSK, CCSP, and CISSP certifications.
Anna Campbell McKee
Director of Training Programs at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)
Anna Campbell McKee is the Director of Training Programs at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), where she leads global education programs focused on cybersecurity best practices. She oversees CSA’s flagship certifications, the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) and the Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust (CCZT), which have received top industry honors, including recognition for Best Cloud Security Certification and Cutting-Edge Cybersecurity Training.
Anna is currently leading CSA’s newest initiative: the development of training and certificate programs, such as Trusted AI Expert (TAISE), focused on AI safety and security to address the emerging governance and risk challenges of AI-enabled systems.
With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, governance, data integrity, and public sector collaboration, Anna is known for translating complex technical topics into accessible, standards-driven education. She contributes to cybersecurity research, speaks on workforce development and emerging technology risks, and supports mentorship and civic leadership through her service on her local city Planning and Utilities Commission.
Anna holds an MBA from Western Washington University and undergraduate degrees in Biology and Integrated Science from the University of Washington.
Build an AI Quiz Generator: From Local Dev to SageMaker Endpoint with Kiro
Build an AI Quiz Generator: From Local Dev to SageMaker Endpoint with Kiro
In this 50-minute workshop, you'll build an AI-powered tool that generates multiple-choice quiz questions from machine learning research papers. Starting with Kiro — an AI-assisted development environment — you'll develop and debug the application locally, then move to AWS where you'll run the pipeline using Amazon Bedrock, evaluate output quality with an LLM-as-a-judge approach, and deploy it as a live API endpoint. A provisioned AWS environment is provided so you can follow along and continue experimenting for 24–48 hours after the session. Basic Python experience assumed.
Mingwei Shen
Senior Manager, Applied Science at AWS Training and Certification
Mingwei Shen leads Applied Science at AWS Training and Certification, driven by one question: as AI transforms jobs, what should people learn? A 10-year Amazon veteran who led global teams delivering >$100M/year in ML automation savings, he now focuses on upskilling over automation. He is an avid GenAI tinkerer.
Building your own Developer Advocate with Deep Agents and Elasticseach
Learn how to implement a deep-thinking research assistant in Python using LangChain’s Deep Agents and Elasticsearch. This session walks through building a sub-agent in a prebuilt agentic harness application with tools for vetted research and comparative analysis, perfect for anyone exploring AI-powered workflows.
Justin Castilla
Senior Developer Advocate @ Elastic
Justin Castilla started his Software Engineering career as a Web Development Boot Camp Instructor where he developed a passion for exciting others with new concepts and empowering individuals with the tools needed to excel in their own right. As an Advocate at Redis, Justin created numerous videos breaking down Data Structures into easy-to-understand, relatable examples with real-world use cases. Now at Elastic, he has expanded into the realm of enhanced search, monitoring, and observability capabilities.