VAM! AI Reading Group - Skills: Attention is All you have 🤖📖

Name: VAM! AI Reading Group - Skills: Attention is All you have 🤖📖
Start: 2026-09-01T18:00-07:00
End: 2026-09-01T20:00-07:00
Location: Northeastern University - Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver AI Meetup (VAM!)

Northeastern University - Vancouver, Vancouver, BC

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM PDT

1) 📄 Paper: "skills: Attention is all you have" (https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.12610) 2) Presenter: Issam Laradji Recommended Action Item: please read the paper in advance 🙂 it’s totally okay if you don’t understand it try to come with at least one question or comment about the paper message me if you’d like to present an AI paper in a future session To connect with the group, join the Discord: https://discord.gg/teJvEejs94 Timeline:🕠 6:00 PM – Arrival & Networking. 🗣️ 6:25 PM ~ 6:40 PM – Round of Introductions 🗣️ 6:40 PM ~ 7:30 PM Paper Presentation & Discussions 🗣️ 7:30 PM ~ 7:45 PM Closing the presentation with a round of questions and comments ℹ️ Disclaimers 🫧 Feel free to bring your own food and water bottle. There is a water fountain at the venue 🚗 Paid parking is available nearby, including EasyPark, 🐾 The venue is not pet-friendly (service animals welcome). 🚲 Bicycles are not permitted inside the building. Doors Close at 6:15 pm so please arrive before then. Before 6:15 pm someone at the lobby can guide you to the 1417 Classroom at the 14th floor. About the Facilitator Issam Laradji is a Research Scientist at ServiceNow and an Adjunct Professor at University of British Columbia. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and a PhD from the University of British Columbia, and his research interests include natural language processing, computer vision, and large-scale optimization. Looking forward to discussing the latest AI Papers! About Northeastern University Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. With 13 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, over 320,000 alumni, and more than 3,800 partners worldwide, the global university network serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. Located in the heart of downtown, the Vancouver campus offers a wide range of master’s-level tech degrees, including pathway programs that allow students with non-STEM backgrounds to pursue a graduate degree in tech.