About Us
Bristol Data Science & AI Society (BDSS) is the home of Bristol's data science and AI student community, and one of the largest free-to-join societies at University of Bristol.
The Lab is our new year-long programme where you'll build a business-ready AI or data science project, backed by leading speakers and mentors. Alongside weekly build sessions, you'll get talks, workshops, and hands-on guidance from 25+ experts working at the forefront of the industry — including an AI Engineer at Deutsche Bank, an AI Governance Researcher from Imperial, an AI Consultant to Microsoft, and the Editorial Creative Director at the Financial Times. You'll also have the opportunity to access Isambard-AI compute during the programme. At the end of the programme, you’ll pitch your project to an investor panel for funding.
Beyond The Lab, we run weekly coding workshops, hackathons and networking events with sponsors to help members break into the field, plus regular socials — think go-karting, scavenger hunts, and chill pub trips.
Committee
What We Do
- The Lab: our flagship year-long programme where you'll build your own AI or data science project from ideation through to a real funding pitch, backed by leading speakers and mentors who've done it themselves.
- Coding workshops: hands-on sessions where you learn to code together by solving real problems and competing in case challenges.
- Hackathons: join our hacker community and compete in hackathons, including our flagship 24-hour hackathon Impact Hack, tackling real challenges set by real companies. We also offer funding to attend hackathons across the UK.
- Competitions: challenge yourself at events like our Estimathon with Jane Street.
- Career prep: take part in events organised with the School of Maths to prepare you for the working world, including Data Science at Work, our Undergraduate Internship Panel, Maths at Work, and Get Interview Ready sessions.
- Socials: from casual pub trips and go-karting to bigger events like our charity poker night and summer formal.
Join BDSS today and build practical data science and AI skills in a supportive and welcoming community.
Contact Us
Bristol Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Society (BDSS) is committed to treating everyone fairly and with respect. We welcome members regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity or nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation in any BDSS activity, online or in person. If any member experiences or witnesses inappropriate behaviour, they can report it confidentially to the committee or to Bristol Students' Union, and we will take concerns seriously and respond promptly.
