Dr. Helena Pelin Saric

Data science often focuses on optimizing models - better features, improved tuning, higher metrics. But especially in healthcare, one thing becomes clear: real-world impact does not happen in the model, but in the decisions that follow.

This talk explores the often invisible chain between prediction and outcome: How are model outputs interpreted? Which decisions are made - or ignored? And how do these decisions ultimately affect people?

Using examples from medical AI, the talk shows why strong model performance does not necessarily translate into better outcomes. Many challenges arise long before deployment: from ambiguous ground truth and proxy targets to features that reflect existing systems and workflows.

This shifts the focus from the question "How good is the model?" to: "Does the system actually improve decisions?"

The talk argues for a broader understanding of responsibility in data science - one that goes beyond models and includes real-world use, decision-making, and impact.

In today’s fast-paced, always-on world, productivity often comes at the cost of focus, clarity, and wellbeing. Constant context-switching, increasing mental load, and attention-fragmenting technologies leave many feeling busy - but not effective.

This talk explores how modern productivity culture shapes the way we think, work, and feel - and how this impacts attention, energy, and decision-making.

It highlights how mindfulness and calm technology can support a more sustainable way of working - helping to reclaim clarity, protect attention, and create space for meaningful performance without stepping away from ambition or innovation.

Key topics include:
- The impact of constant context-switching and mental load on focus and energy
- The role of awareness and small mindful moments in reducing stress and improving clarity
- Principles of calm technology and how digital environments can be designed to support, rather than drain, attention

The talk combines insights with practical ideas for integrating mindful pauses, protecting focus, and shaping both digital and personal environments more intentionally.

Because in a world where everything moves faster, calm is becoming the new smart.