Overview
Cloud Native AI & Inference Day is a CNCF hosted co located event taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 9, 2026. It is part of the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America CNCF hosted Co located Events. The day focuses on practical and strategic topics at the intersection of cloud native computing and artificial intelligence. Attendees include developers, site reliability engineers, data scientists, platform engineers, product managers, and AI/ML practitioners who want to understand how to bring AI into production using cloud native approaches. The event takes place in person with an all access pass option that grants entry to all CNCF hosted co located events in addition to KubeCon + CloudNativeCon content.
What you will learn
Participants will explore a range of AI centered topics, from large language models and generative AI to retrieval augmented generation and AI agents. The program also covers end to end AI/ML in production (MLOps and AIOps), edge AI and specialized environments, and crucial ethics, compliance, and security considerations. Real world user success stories and use cases are expected to be part of the program, offering concrete examples from industry implementations.
Agenda & Tracks
The event highlights topics including LLMs and Generative AI, RAG and AI agents, End to End AI/ML in production, Edge AI and specialized environments, and Ethics and Security. The page suggests a CFP and a call for proposals with multiple submission types and formats. Submission types include: Presentation (25 minutes with 1–2 speakers), Panel Discussion (35 minutes with 3–5 speakers and diversity requirements), and Lightning Talk (10 minutes, 1 speaker). Attendees can submit proposals to speak and view a complete schedule through the conference’s program pages.
Registration & Details
Registration is part of the co located events, and attendees may elect an All-Access In Person KubeCon + CloudNativeCon pass that includes entry to all CNCF hosted co located events along with KubeCon + CloudNativeCon content. The page notes that contracts for sponsorship are in place and provides details about sponsor opportunities. A CFP submission window is mentioned with a submission deadline around June 21, 2026. The event provides additional links for venue travel, health and safety, and other attendee resources.
Who should attend
This event is designed for professionals involved in building or operating AI enabled cloud native systems. It is suitable for engineers, researchers, and leaders who want to understand how to deploy AI and ML workloads in production environments, integrate AI into cloud native platforms, and navigate the associated ethics and security concerns. The program also suits organizations evaluating or adopting CNCF hosted co located events as part of their broader KubeCon + CloudNativeCon participation.
FAQ & Notes
Attendees have access to registration information, sponsorship details, CFP submission processes, and venue related information via the event pages. The event emphasizes practical examples, session formats, and opportunities to network with peers and sponsors in a CNCF controlled environment. The content is delivered in English and assumes an in person format for Cloud Native AI & Inference Day in Salt Lake City.
Conclusion
Cloud Native AI & Inference Day offers a focused in person program that bridges cloud native infrastructure with AI/ML deployment in a production setting. Expect talks on LLMs, RAG, AI agents, MLOps/AIOps, Edge AI, and security and ethics considerations, along with an engaging schedule and opportunities to submit proposals for sessions. This day provides concrete context for teams seeking practical guidance on integrating AI components into cloud native architectures while engaging with CNCF ecosystem partners and peers.
