Come to join our Search Solutions 2026 Tutorial day!
Synopsis
Join us for the Search Solutions 2026 Tutorial Day, organised by the BCS Information Retrieval Specialist Group (IRSG), featuring two timely tutorials at the intersection of Search and AI.
Tutorial 1: The Frontiers of Open-Source Agentic Search
Alessandro Benedetti, Sease Ltd. & Radu Gheorghe, Vespa AI
Explore the emerging world of agentic search, where AI agents move beyond traditional query-response systems to plan retrieval strategies, interact with tools and synthesise answers. This practical tutorial covers open-source technologies, the Model Context Protocol (MCP), evaluation, security and agentic capabilities across Apache Solr, Elasticsearch, OpenSearch and Vespa, including hands-on demonstrations.
Programme:
Part 1: Foundations & Paradigms (90 Minutes)
- 00:00 - 00:30 | Foundations of Agentic Search (30 mins)
- 00:30 - 01:00 | The Open-Source Agent Orchestration Ecosystem (30 mins)
- 01:00 - 01:30 | Evaluation Metrics & Benchmarking (30 mins)
01:30 - 01:45 | Morning Break (15 mins)
Part 2: The Lucene Ecosystem Deep Dive (90 Mins)
- 01:45 - 02:05 | Elasticsearch Support for Agents (20 mins)
- 02:05 - 02:35 | OpenSearch Native Agentic Framework (30 mins)
- 02:35 - 03:15 | Apache Solr as a First-Class Agent Citizen (40 mins)
03:15 - 04:15 | Lunch Break (60 mins)
Part 3: Hands-On Solr & Vespa Deep Dive (135 Mins)
- 04:15 - 04:45 | Hands-On: Running Agentic Search with Apache Solr (30 mins)
- 04:45 - 05:30 | Vespa Platform Architecture for Agents (45 mins)
- 05:30 - 06:30 | Hands-On: Running Agentic Search with Vespa (60 mins)
06:30 - 06:45 | Afternoon Break (15 mins)
Part 4: Security, Guardrails & Future Frontiers (45 Mins)
- 06:45 - 07:15 | Security Boundaries & Agent Guardrails (30 mins)
- 07:15 - 07:30 | Wrap-up, Q&A, and Research Frontiers (15 mins)
Tutorial 2: Inside Language Models: From Probing to Mechanistic Interpretability
Kevin Roitero & Riccardo Lunardi, University of Udine
Discover what happens inside the LLMs powering modern search and RAG systems. The tutorial introduces probing and mechanistic interpretability, covering hidden representations, transformer circuits, activation patching, sparse autoencoders and feature steering, complemented by practical demonstrations.
Designed for search and IR practitioners, researchers, developers, data scientists and AI professionals, the Tutorial Day offers an excellent opportunity to gain practical insights into both building intelligent search systems and understanding how they work.
Programme:
- 00:00–00:15 Motivation: understanding modern LLMs and RAG beyond black-box.
- 00:15–01:00 Probing: representations, hidden states, probe design, layer-wise analysis, baselines, control tasks, interpretation pitfalls.
- 01:00–01:15 Practicum I: probing hidden representations in LLMs, including layer-wise probing, probe training, visualization, and interpretation of results.
01:15–01:25 Coffee Break.
- 01:25–02:10 Mechanistic interpretability: transformer circuits, residual streams, circuit analysis, activation patching, and feature steering.
- 02:10–02:25 Practicum II: activation patching, steering vectors, and causal analysis of model behaviour using transformer models.
- 02:25–02:40 Modern directions and practitioner use cases: sparse autoencoders, feature steering, and open challenges.
- 02:40–03:00 Discussion, Q&A, and guidance for applying interpretability techniques. Detailed Description
The tutorials take place on 24 November 2026, ahead of the Search Solutions Conference on 25 November.
Ticket costs
(Prices stated are inclusive of VAT and fees)
- BCS/ISKO members: £80.00
- Non-members: £100.00
- Students: £60.00
Refunds/Cancellations
A refund, excluding fees, will be issued if a cancellation request is received within 14 days of the booking date or by noon on Tuesday, 17 November 2026; otherwise, name substitutions will be allowed after this date.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today
Please note: if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk, and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.
If you are attending in person, please familiarise yourself with the Visitor Instructions for the BCS London Office.
For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.
This event is brought to you by: Information Retrieval specialist group
