On June 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., another regular Optical Coffee Chat organized by the Czech Optical Cluster was held online. This time, the main topic was the intersection of artificial intelligence and optics—an area that has experienced exceptionally rapid development in recent years and is opening new opportunities in research, development, and industrial practice.
AI Under the Hood: Stop Chatting, Start Integrating
The first speaker was Roman Slabý from Meopta, who delivered a presentation titled “AI Under the Hood” with the subtitle “Stop Chatting, Start Integrating.”
In his presentation, he emphasized that the future of artificial intelligence lies not only in the use of chatbots but, more importantly, in its effective integration into business processes and tools. According to him, AI should be largely “hidden under the hood” of operating systems and applications, where it can deliver real added value without requiring complex user interaction.
He also highlighted the extraordinarily rapid pace of development in the field and the need for a pragmatic approach to AI implementation—using it only where it can genuinely improve efficiency, increase productivity, or support decision-making.
AI in Optical Design and Metrology
The second speaker was Jiří Novák from Czech Technical University in Prague, who presented “AI in Optical Design and Metrology.”
He introduced specific applications of artificial intelligence in optical design and measurement. Particular attention was given to the concept of an optical designer’s assistant, which can significantly reduce the time required to design optical systems while simultaneously offering a broader range of possible solutions.
AI can help engineers explore the design space more efficiently, identify alternative approaches, and support creativity during the development of new optical systems.
Teaching Data to Work
The final presentation was delivered by Ivan Tarant from HiLASE Centre and was titled “Teaching Data to Work.”
The presentation focused on practical experience with implementing AI in a research center environment. Participants learned how available data can be used effectively, how to build data infrastructure for AI applications, and how to generate high-quality data for training models.
Concrete approaches and experiences from the HiLASE environment were presented, providing inspiration for other organizations considering the implementation of artificial intelligence.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all speakers for their inspiring presentations and all participants for their active engagement in the subsequent discussion. The meeting demonstrated that the convergence of artificial intelligence and optics brings many exciting opportunities, as well as new challenges that the professional community will face in the years ahead.
We look forward to meeting again at one of the future Optical Coffee Chat events organized by the Czech Optical Cluster.
