AI Engineer Conference Launches Singapore Edition, Backed by OpenAI and Google DeepMind

The AI Engineer conference will hold its first Asia edition in Singapore from May 15 to 17, 2026, organized by local community group 65Labs. The event is backed by OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Cursor, Vercel, and Z.ai.

Scale and Format of the Singapore Event

Organizers expect more than 2,000 in-person attendees and approximately 50,000 online viewers at The Capitol Theatre. The three-day program will feature over 50 speakers across talks, demonstrations, and workshops.

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Content focuses on technical topics including agent systems, developer tooling, and AI in production use. The event targets working engineers, founders, designers, and operators rather than general business audiences.

"Every single time, we run out of space before we run out of people who wanted to be there," said Sherry Jiang, co-founder of 65Labs. "AI Engineer Singapore isn't us going to find the frontier. It's the frontier and Singapore's builders, finally being in the same room at the same time."

Co-founder Agrim Singh described Singapore as "one of the most engaged and technically serious builder communities outside of Silicon Valley," adding that the goal is a practical event showcasing frontier technology rather than speculative discussions.

How a Local Meetup Group Landed a Global Conference Brand

65Labs built a network of over 5,000 people in Singapore over two years through meetups, workshops, and hackathons. The group says it consistently exceeded venue capacity at local events since 2023.

The organization previously hosted what it describes as the region's largest AI hackathon, involving more than 14 AI groups. OpenAI selected 65Labs to run its first official Codex hackathon in Singapore. Cursor used the community to host its first city event in the region.

Every US edition of AI Engineer has sold out. Strong local demand, demonstrated through 65Labs' track record, prompted the expansion to Asia.

Singapore's Position as a Regional AI Hub

Singapore ranks third globally in the AI Index for investment, innovation, and implementation. The government has committed SG$25 billion (~US$18.5 billion) under the RIE 2025 plan for research and innovation, supported by the National AI Strategy.

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The city-state hosts regional headquarters for major technology companies, active research clusters, and a large pool of English-speaking technical workers. These conditions make it attractive for international AI organizations seeking access to Asian developer communities.

Singapore's 2026 AI event calendar is growing rapidly. Confirmed events include The AI Summit Singapore at ATxEnterprise (May 20 to 22), SuperAI (June 10 to 11), and AI Everything Asia/GITEX AI ASIA (April nine to 10). SuperAI 2024 at Marina Bay Sands drew 5,000 attendees from more than 1,000 companies, providing a market benchmark for large-scale AI gatherings in the city.

Programming Structure and Sponsor Mix

The conference runs four tracks, including a dedicated leadership track for CTOs, VPs of AI, founders, and enterprise leaders. That track covers hiring, organizational design, and AI-native business transformation alongside technical tracks spanning software, design, robotics, and infrastructure.

The sponsor roster maps to the full AI development stack, from model developers (OpenAI, Google DeepMind) to coding tools (Cursor), deployment platforms (Vercel), and infrastructure providers. All US editions of AI Engineer have sold out, and organizers cite consistent demand exceeding available space as the direct prompt for the Asia expansion.

AI Engineer Singapore registration and program details are available at ai.engineer/singapore.