Every AI conference undergoes distinct phases, though many don’t acknowledge it. Reflecting on ten editions of Cypher, four unique eras emerge. The Analytics Era (2015–2017) saw the rise of SAS, R, and early Python, alongside debates on “business storytelling.” During this time, India’s analytics talent was primarily outsourced to the US and UK, rather than utilized within its own enterprises. The Deep Learning Detour (2018–2020) focused on computer vision, NLP, and reinforcement learning, with discussions advancing faster than actual deployments. India generated significant AI discourse but limited practical applications. The Production Reset (2021–2023) emphasized MLOps, monitoring, and cost economics, shifting from trendy topics to more substantial, less glamorous ones. This period marked a balance between conversation and deployment, making AI efforts more tangible. The Agentic & Sovereign Era (2024–2026) introduces agents, MCP, foundation models, and sovereign infrastructure, yet a credibility gap persists as the nation discusses advanced agents while deploying simpler RAG chatbots vulnerable to model upgrades. Each era resolves certain questions while opening new ones, setting the stage for future discussions at Cypher 2026 in Bengaluru.
What are the distinct eras of Cypher’s AI conferences?
