Tower recently attended the 2026 International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), held July 6-11 in Seoul, South Korea. As one of the world’s leading conferences for machine learning, ICML brings together researchers, engineers, and practitioners from across academia and industry to share the latest advances in artificial intelligence and computational research. 

As a sponsor and exhibitor, Tower welcomed thousands of attendees throughout the week to discuss how AI and machine learning are impacting quantitative research, engineering, and the technical challenges that shape modern financial markets. The conference also provided an opportunity to introduce both industry leaders and prospective job applicants to the work taking place across Tower’s research and engineering teams. 

Throughout the event, Tower’s booth was a major draw for attendees. People stopped by to learn more about what we do, connect with members of the team, and take part in our inaugural Production Trading System Challenge, which tasked participants with spotting an overfit model and detecting a data leak while beating the clock. The interactive challenge attracted nearly 800 participants over the course of the week and sparked numerous conversations with students, researchers, and experienced engineers from around the world. 

For us, ICML reinforced the growing overlap between machine learning research and the technical skills required across quantitative finance. As advances in AI continue to influence trading, research, and engineering, conferences like ICML provide an opportunity to engage with motivated individuals, learn from the broader community, and connect with the next generation of technical talent. 

Tower looks forward to continuing these conversations and returning to future conferences that bring together the global finance, AI, and engineering communities.