What is Barcelona AI Forum?
By Alex Andrushevich, Founder
Short answer
Barcelona AI Forum is a new, independent initiative in Barcelona that brings together professionals across business, technology and creativity to learn, exchange ideas and put artificial intelligence into practice. It is founder-led and in development. Today it has a website, a mailing list and a route for organisations to ask about training. Events, education, an advisory council and research are planned, and each is published with its real status.
Why a forum, and why now
Most conversations about AI happen inside one profession. Engineers talk to engineers about models and tools; marketers compare notes with marketers; executives hear about AI at events built for executives. Each group sees part of the picture.
The decisions that matter cross those lines. Whether an AI agent can safely act on customer data is a technical question, a legal question, a brand question and a question about how a team works. Barcelona AI Forum exists to put those people in the same conversation.
A forum is the right shape for that: a recurring place where different perspectives meet, evidence is exchanged and people work out what to do. Barcelona has a long habit of building places like that, from the Roman forum on Mont Tàber to the chamfered crossings of the Eixample.
Who it is for
It is not only for engineers. The Forum is for people in:
- business and operations, deciding where AI is worth adopting;
- marketing and growth, using AI in content, research and automation;
- engineering and product, building agents, software and integrations;
- design and creative work, where production and originality are both at stake;
- education and people teams, responsible for AI literacy and workplace change;
- research and policy, looking for practical evidence and public dialogue.
What exists today, and what does not
Today there is this website, a founding-community mailing list and an enquiry route for organisations that want training or advice. I run the Forum, and I am its only spokesperson for now.
There are no members to count, no partners, sponsors or advisors to announce, no past events and no published research. The roadmap lists what is planned and how far along each part is, and it will change as things become real.
What it will not be
- An EU body. The Forum follows European AI policy closely, but it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or funded by the European Union.
- An engineering club. Technical depth matters, and so does every other discipline.
- A sales funnel. Training and consulting are separate, clearly labelled paid services. Joining the community never leads to a sales follow-up.
How it will earn trust
With work that can be checked: named speakers who agreed to be named, event recaps with real dates, guides built from real projects, and research that publishes its method and limits. An independent advisory council will share responsibility for the Forum’s direction once it is appointed.
My own credentials are public. I build open-source tooling for the Model Context Protocol, including MCP Framework. Over time the Forum’s credibility should come from many people, not from me.
How to take part
- Join the founding community for updates on the launch, events and ways to contribute.
- Propose a talk, demonstration or workshop, or nominate someone for the advisory council.
- If your organisation needs AI training or advice, send an enquiry.