This year, the House of Music Hungary hosted the 11th annual Brain Bar festival, Europe’s “largest future festival,” welcoming experts, innovators and politicians, amongst others, from all around the world to debate “the most important issues of the 21st century.”
The focus of this year’s Brain Bar was there in the title: “The Next 25 Years,” with the tagline, “We still have faith in the future.” The theme explored a broad range of pressing issues relevant to today’s world, ranging from topics such as climate catastrophes, pandemics and relationships in the age of social media to the rise of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.
Guest speakers also facilitated discussions on geopolitical conflicts, modern economics, cultural shifts, and entrepreneurial best practices, among others. Bianca Scheffler, area manager for the KPMG AI Center of Excellence at KPMG Switzerland, led an interactive discussion on the emergence of artificial intelligence.
With more than 18 years of professional experience in technology, data strategies and AI, Scheffler is passionate about leveraging her background to educate others on digital skills.
During a 25-minute “Smash That Myth” discussion, titled “Optimism vs. Anxiety” and hosted by social anthropologist Calum Nicholson (the British-Canadian director of research at the Danube Institute, formerly director of the Climate Policy Institute), Scheffler shared her thoughts on three frequently noted misconceptions regarding the emergence and everyday use of artificial intelligence.
In the first round, Scheffler talked about the dangers of assuming that AI models are objective. She noted that since large language models are trained on human-made datasets, it is inevitable that human biases are embedded within them. This may result in skewed data generation, and Scheffler warned users not to rely on any artificial intelligence model as an entirely objective tool.
Scheffler then defended the notion that AI is not necessarily “just a tech issue.” She explained that, as “AI is appearing to be more social,” comparing it to “an advisor,” users need to learn how to differentiate human authenticity from artificial intelligence.
Since studies show that a large percentage of users now view their preferred AI models as a “friend” in addition to using them as an efficient tool, AI is not only dominating the tech industry but also the lives of millions of casual consumers.
Scheffler advised that since AI is “changing the way we gather and synthesize information,” users “should not underestimate [its] impact.”
To conclude the debate, Scheffler argued that AI should not be banned from schools, saying that it is essential for kids and students to interact with AI during their school-age years. She said that using AI is an ability that needs to be taught, and banning it from academic use does not benefit the students.
“If AI is banned from schools, then no one would have the skills to use it positively,” she remarked.
At the end of each discussion round, the audience was urged to interact with the speakers to help decide whether the statement about AI was myth or reality.
The festival drew in visitors of all backgrounds, including young students, professionals and international visitors. Brain Bar reported that there were “over 8,500 confirmed registrations” for the two-day event, with more than “150 full high school classes and thousands of university students” in attendance.
With its diverse lineup of topics, Brain Bar offered something for everyone, allowing participants to explore various areas they were passionate about. A couple of visitors commented that they were “excited to attend the festival to gain new perspectives” through the interactive roundtables, while others were keen to take part in the open-debate town halls and group discussions.
Many festivalgoers also sought out the smaller “Speaker Speed Date” and “Change My Mind” stations scattered around the festival, where anyone could sit down with the event’s experts and guest speakers for a quick discussion in their field.
Alongside the continuous lineup of programs, the festival also provided space for guests to unwind and pass the time between programs. Lounge chairs and ping-pong tables were set up between the kiosks, while a variety of food trucks and drink carts lined the walkway leading to the main stages.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of October 3, 2025.
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