Four AI events I went to in Chiang Mai
在清迈参加的 4 场 AI 主题活动- I went to four AI events in Chiang Mai. The one closest to what I need was a small bi-weekly meeting with a host’s talk, project shares, self-introductions and small-group conversations, where everyone really took part.
- The others each fell short in their own way. AI for women was teaching people to edit photos with ChatGPT prompts; the vibe coding one was crowded and got more and more technical; I agreed with the ideas at the Claude coding one, but it’s hard to say what I took away.
- I also learned that many freelancers here have stayed five years or more, and that anyone entering the market on their own has to solve the problem of “being seen.” AI found these events for me; lots of coliving and coworking spaces organize them.
Four AI-related events I went to
This seems to be the event closest to what I need so far. The host gives a talk, people share projects they signed up to present, and it’s small, so there are self-introductions first and you get to know who everyone is. Afterwards there’s small-group conversation where people exchange what they’ve learned lately. What’s rare is that everyone really takes part.
Bi-weekly meeting
AI for women
It turned out to be about guiding people to edit photos with ChatGPT prompts… The all-women atmosphere was lovely, but…
Weekly meeting
Still, I met a warm older-sister type here, and later went to a singing bowl session she runs (but lately I’ve been a bit of a walking zombie and nothing tastes like anything, so I won’t recommend it).
The host is from Hong Kong and has been here 11 years
Vibe coding for women
Gave up
dangerous
Very crowded. It started with a guest talk, then went in a very technical direction. I hung on until the restaurant I wanted for dinner opened, which happened to be when it ended, so I left.
This seems to be a weekly meeting.
Claude coding
Seemingly another weekly meeting. I never figured out what it was for; it seemed aimed at beginners. I agreed with some of the ideas the host talked about, but as for what you could take away, that’s hard to say.
It’s best to come with questions, maybe because… the host doesn’t know where to start either, so they keep stopping to ask people about their pain points.
Final thoughts
- It turns out many freelancers have stayed here five years or more. The long-term foreign community here seems quite stable, at least compared with how long people I met in Dubai had been there.
- It turns out promotion and marketing matter that much. The livestreams and recordings before and after all pointed to this. Maybe it’s true: if you enter the market as an individual, you have to solve the problem of “being seen” yourself.
- Why were the developers at these events all men, and the people at the sound bath all women? Is it our genes or our environment that produces this split…
- If you ask how I found these events, the answer is almost too simple… AI found them, because I didn’t know where to look. But now I have some leads: lots of coliving and coworking spaces organize events like these.
Written in Chinese and translated into English with the help of AI. Read the original