Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the 24th EAAAI 2023 (Engineering Applications and Advances of Artificial Intelligence) ex EANN Organizing and Scientific Committee, it is a real honor and pleasure to welcome all Artificial Intelligence scholars who are looking for a well-established and prestigious forum to communicate and disseminate the innovative advances of their research. It is a fact that AI is continuously digging its way in a vast number of diverse scientific domains. EAAAI (ex EANN) aims to provide a forum for all Engineers from both academia and industry, who wish to share pioneer ideas, to get to know each other better and to present their research. Moreover, it aims to offer a deep glimpse into the future and to examine important AI ethical aspects.

The conference accepts papers from the whole AI spectrum. After 23 years the name of EANN is gradually changing to come to: EAAAI (Engineering Applications and Advances of Artificial Intelligence) in order to better reflect its thematic areas. 

The EAAAI ex EANN Conference has been held continuously since 1995, under the auspices of the INNS EANN Special Interest Group. Through the years, it has evolved to a well-respected and mature event, under the technical and scientific co-sponsorship of the INNS community. This community comprises of an extended Group of leading scientists, not only from Europe but from all over the globe. 

The h-index of the EANN event is as high as 25. This proves the novelty and quality of the presented-published research and its important contribution to the promotion of scientific ideas, algorithms and methods, globally. The fact that the Springer Proceedings of the conference, have been downloaded more than 785,000 times so far, supports the robust impact of the event among the scholars of AI internationally. This proves the novelty and quality of the presented-published research and its important contribution to the promotion of scientific ideas, algorithms and methods, globally. 

During the last years we have been witnessing the developments in the Covid-19 virus in a global scale. The vaccination in EU and globally, has proceeded rapidly. The good news is that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron is replacing the Delta one globally, and it is generally causing less and lighter symptoms. As a matter of fact, so far there are no Covid-19 traveling restrictions both in Europe and in a global scale. This fact makes the organization of a successful hybrid event feasible. The colleagues will have no problem at all to attend the 24^th EAAAI (ex EANN) 2023 on site, in the fantastic city of Leon, Spain. However, the ones that are not able to travel, or for any reason they wish to present from home, will be given the opportunity to present remotely. Of course, most of all, we wish to give the chance to all colleagues to disseminate their achievements in the AI domain to the EAAAI (ex EANN) community.

Nevertheless, the EAAAI team has extended experience in the long-distance conference organizations. We remind you that the 2020 and 2021 EAAAI (ex EANN) conferences were broadcasted remotely, whereas the 2022 event was organized in a hybrid mode, all of them with great success. 

After 23 years of holding EANN, strong links have been developed with the members of our scientific community. Regarding the 24^th EAAAI (ex EANN) 2023 conference, the amazing atmosphere and the excellent academic environment of the University of Leon, Spain guarantees a perfect venue for all AI scientists.

Leon is one of the most interesting and amazing cities in Spain. It combines picturesque nature, colorful Spanish cuisine and, of course, a rich historical heritage preserved in various attractions. Leon became a source of pride not only for residents but also for all Spaniards, because it is the birthplace of the Spanish language, an important point on the route for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. The city has numerous attractions, temples, fortresses that are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

We are certain that once more, we will be able to exchange ideas, to get to know each other better, and to interact by presenting our research achievements. 

Cordially,

The 24^th EAAAI (ex EANN) 2023 Chairs