The First International Conference on Data Intelligence and Smart Communication (IC-DAIS 2026), organized by Bangalore Integrated Management Academy, Bangalore, India; the Department of Computer Science, Brainware University, Kolkata, India, Hirasugar Institute of Technology, Nidasoshi, Belgaum, India, Pune Vidyarthi Griha’s College of Engineering and Shrikrushna S. Dhamankar Institute of Management, Nashik, Maharastra, India. The conference was successfully held on August 13–14, 2026. The inaugural edition of IC-DAIS brought together researchers, academicians, industry professionals, practitioners, and students from across the world to exchange ideas and discuss emerging trends, innovations, and challenges in data intelligence, artificial intelligence, and next-generation smart communication technologies. The conference was conducted in hybrid mode, enabling participants to attend either in person at the organizing institutions or virtually.

IC-DAIS 2026 served as a vibrant platform for presenting high-quality research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, exchanging innovative ideas, and strengthening academic–industry partnerships. The conference addressed emerging developments in areas such as data-driven intelligence, artificial intelligence, smart cities, intelligent networks, next-generation communication systems, and sustainable digital transformation. It featured keynote lectures, invited talks, technical paper presentations, tutorials, and industry interaction sessions, providing participants with valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing, professional networking, and exploration of emerging technological directions.

The conference was technically sponsored by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Bangalore Chapter, India, and IEEE Student Branch BIMA, Bangalore. Their support contributed significantly to the technical quality and successful execution of the conference.

This volume of conference proceedings presents a collection of peer-reviewed papers accepted for presentation during IC-DAIS 2026. The contributions included in this volume reflect contemporary research and innovative approaches in data intelligence, artificial intelligence, smart communication, intelligent systems, and related emerging technologies, offering valuable insights into their theoretical foundations, practical applications, and future directions.

The organizing committee expresses its sincere gratitude to all authors, reviewers, keynote speakers, invited speakers, session chairs, technical committee members, and participants whose valuable contributions and enthusiastic involvement made IC-DAIS 2026 a successful and memorable event. Special thanks are extended to River Publishers for publishing the conference proceedings.

We look forward to future editions of IC-DAIS, continuing the journey of knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and technological innovation in data intelligence and smart communication.