Exploit Summit to Explore Open AI Development in Montreal
The Exploit Summit conference is set to take place in Montreal on September 28-29, 2026. This two-day event will bring together builders working on open, incentive-driven artificial intelligence.
Bittensor Commons, the non-profit initiative behind the summit, has organized the conference around a different proposition: that AI and other digital services can be coordinated through open competition between independent participants rather than assembled inside a single organization.
The programme is deliberately adversarial, with live demonstrations, workshops, head-to-head competition, and public debate. Confirmed speakers include Jacob Steeves, founder of Bittensor and now CEO of Affine, as well as Micaela Bazo, CEO and co-founder of Metanova Labs.
The choice of Montreal is not incidental, as organizers point to a significant Canadian presence among Bittensor's early contributors and current community. The event aims to put the argument on stage in a city with a deep history in AI research.