Join us for two days of inspiring innovations, thought-provoking discussions, and AI revelations
Speakers on stage
Hours of content
Attendees
Countries
World Summit AI will explore cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence, focusing on autonomous AI agents, physical AI systems with live robotic demos and brain-computer interfaces. We're also diving into innovations in AI infrastructure, such as neuromorphic chips and quantum processing.
The world's biggest AI brains will discuss AI's shift from automation to collaborative networks, sharing best practices. We'll also be featuring diverse perspectives from global AI hubs, providing insights beyond traditional tech capitals - and highlighting AI's transformative potential across various sectors and technologies.
Rise of the agents: Autonomous AI in action
Physical AI: From understanding to interaction
Mind meets machine: The future of brain-computer interfaces
AI Infrastructure: Building the foundation for next-generation AI
Tools and teams: From automation to collaboration
Global AI on the rise
7:30 – 9:30 AM
9:30 - 9:45 AM
9:45 – 10:00 AM
Jonathan McCrea
Founder, Get Started with AI
10:00 - 10:20 AM
Nina Jankowicz
Co-Founder and CEO, The American Sunlight Project
As AI becomes central to economic and military power, it is reshaping the geopolitical landscape, from global tech alliances to disinformation campaigns. No longer just a tool, AI is a force multiplier in the struggle for influence and security.
In this timely keynote, Nina Jankowicz, an expert on information warfare and digital authoritarianism, draws on her experience advising governments and leading the American Sunlight Project to explore how AI intersects with rising global tensions. What new power dynamics are emerging? How can democracies respond to authoritarian digital control? And how do we ensure AI supports progress, not polarisation?
10:20 – 10:45 AM
MODERATOR: Fiona McEvoy
Fiona McEvoy, Technology & AI Ethics Writer, Researcher & Founder, YoutheData.com
Gary Marcus
World-renowned expert on AI; Professor Emeritus, NYU; Author, Taming Silicon Valley
AI dystopia is now the default. Unless a lot of people speak out, things will get darker and darker from here.
In this fireside chat, renowned AI scientist, skeptic, and enterpreneur Gary Marcus confronts the widening gap between hype and harm in artificial intelligence. Drawing on his extensive work advising governments and challenging tech giants, building on years of correctly anticipating the weaknesses of large language models, Marcus offers a sharp, evidence-backed critique of today’s AI trajectory—and tells us what must change to steer humanity toward safer, more human-centered outcomes. Whether you love AI or hate it, this is both a wake-up call and a call to action.
10:45 – 11:20 AM
11:20 – 11:40 AM
Prof Payal Arora
Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures, Utrecht University
Amid fears of AI-fueled collapse, award-winning author Payal Arora offers a powerful counterpoint: across the Global South, digital optimism thrives.
Drawing on fieldwork in Brazil, India, and Bangladesh, she explores how marginalized youth embrace technology as a tool for self-actualization, care, and collective reinvention. With insights from feminist tech activists and Indigenous sustainability models, Arora challenges us to move beyond Western dystopias—and design with hope.
11:20 AM – 11:40 AM
Cobus Greyling
Chief Evangelist, Kore AI
This forward-thinking session will address the shift from AI Agents to an Agentic Spectrum or continuum, how human oversight and control merging with Agentic workflows, and how all of this will unfold in the next couple of months.
11:20 AM – 12:20 PM
Arthur Rasmusson
Principal AI Engineer, WEKA
Innovation at all costs’ is no longer a viable option for AI architects and innovators. Reducing the cost of AI innovation without compromising speed of innovation or time to market is the new strategic imperative of the agentic AI era. Done right, key-value caching, or KVCache, can do the heavy lifting for you, significantly reducing your time to first token, cost per token, and lowering your overall cost of innovation. Join Arthur Rasmusson to learn how to design and implement caching algorithms to improve your token economics.
11:45 AM – 12:05 PM
MODERATOR: Jonathan McCrea
Founder, Get Started with AI
Lydia Logan
VP of Global Education and Workforce Development, IBM
Recent studies show that 51% of CEOs surveyed say they are hiring for generative AI roles that did not exist recently. Also, 47% of executives report a lack of skills to implement AI at scale. With the rise of AI agents, the role of professionals will shift fast, and new challenges and opportunities will push everyone to rethink traditional approaches to work and skills. Learn about what organisations and education systems can do to prepare the workforce, and what current and future professionals can do today to start their AI journey.
11:45 – 12:05 PM
Prof Dr. Thorsten O. Zander
Founder, Chief Scientist, Zander Labs
How is AI reshaping what it means to be human? Prof. Thorsten O. Zander—one of the foremost experts in neuroadaptive technology—explores how brain-computer interfaces and intelligent systems are pushing the boundaries of human potential.
From adaptive environments to direct brain-to-machine communication, he shows how these developments are turning science fiction into reality.
12:10 – 12:30 PM
MODERATOR: Loretta Tioiela
Founder and Managing Partner, Next Sequence
Mohsen Moazami
President (International), Groq
Join Mohsen Moazami, President of International at Groq, for an in-depth fireside chat exploring how next-gen compute is reshaping the global AI landscape – faster, more efficient, and increasingly sovereign. What are the demands of the global AI ecosystem? How are those demands being met and what work still needs to be done? With the Gulf region, Canada, the US, and more making bold investments in AI infrastructure, this session will spotlight the intersection of geopolitical ambition, high-performance hardware, and national AI strategy. From energy-conscious chips to AI-native data centers, what does it take to build an AI-ready future? Expect sharp insights on tech sovereignty, supply chains, and how Groq is at the heart of this new industrial wave, bringing AI closer to users.
12:10 – 12:30 PM
Dr. Ramses Alcaide
CEO and Co-Founder, Neurable
Dr. Ramses Alcaide, a neuroscientist and the driving force behind Neurable, will discuss the crucial role of AI in advancing neuroscience. He'll provide an inside look at how Neurable utilizes AI to decode brain activity, leading to the development of cutting-edge BCI technology. This session will highlight the intersection of AI and neuroscience, showcasing how these fields are converging to create powerful tools for enhancing human potential.
12:25 – 13:00 PM
MODERATOR: Jeannette Gorzala
Jeannette Gorzala, CEO and Founder, ACT AI NOW
Bernardo Flores
Assistant Professor in the Computer Engineering Department, San Jose State University
Dr. Hemachandran Kannan
Vice Dean & Director - AI Research Centre, Woxsen University
Raghu Krishnaiah
COO, University of Phoenix
In today's rapidly evolving AI landscape, universities are pivotal in equipping the next generation of developers with essential AI skills. This panel session will explore how educational institutions can adapt their curricula and teaching methods to prepare students for an AI-driven world. Join us for actionable insights from industry and academia on how to shape the future of work, build learning plans, and responsibly harness AI’s potential.
12:30 – 12:50 PM
MODERATOR: Fiona McEvoy
Technology & AI Ethics Writer, Researcher & Founder, YoutheData.coM
Srujana Kaddevarmuth
Group Director AI Center of Excellence, Walmart
Productizing AI—turning machine learning models into scalable, user-facing solutions—offers substantial benefits. However, this transition also brings significant risks, including model drift, biased outcomes, lack of transparency, ethical concerns, and challenges in ensuring robustness, fairness, and regulatory compliance.
As AI becomes embedded in core products and services, this conversation sits at the intersection of technology, business, and ethics.
12:35 – 1:00 PM
MODERATOR: Jonathan McCrea
Founder, Get Started with AI
Celina Lee
Co-Founder & CEO, Zindi
Tess Posner
Interim CEO, AI4ALL
As AI systems shape everything from healthcare to hiring, who gets to build them—and who gets left behind—matters more than ever. This session brings together two leading voices working to make AI more inclusive.
Celina Lee and Tess Posner share insights from their work empowering underrepresented communities through education, competitions, and access to real-world opportunities. What does it take to democratize AI, and what’s at stake if we don’t?
1:00 – 2:00 PM
2:00 – 2:20 PM
Dr Ivan Poupyrev
CEO, Archetype AI
As artificial intelligence moves into the physical world, a new era of responsive environments and perceptive machines is emerging. Dr. Ivan Poupyrev—renowned inventor and CEO of Archetype AI—shares insights from his groundbreaking work building a real-time understanding of the physical world using sensor data and foundation models.
In this keynote, Poupyrev explores how Physical AI transforms interaction design, opens up new industries, and reshapes our relationship with the built environment. What does it mean when reality itself becomes machine-readable?
2:00 – 2:20 PM
David Pacold
Product Director, Airia
Explore the evolving landscape of AI innovation, where deploying AI agents can revolutionize business outcomes with immediate impact. We will examine examples of how advanced orchestration techniques can enhance system efficiency and redefine workforce productivity, directly influencing the strategic priorities of CIOs. Discover how leaders in this field develop AI applications that are inherently trustworthy and risk-aware. Whether you are starting your AI journey or seeking to refine your current approach, this session provides strategic insights to harness AI's transformative potential and empowers CIOs to drive sustainable business success.
2:00 – 2:20 PM
Bob van Luijt
CEO and Founder, Weaviate
AI systems are only as smart as the data infrastructure behind them. In this session, van Luijt, explores how vector databases have become essential to building scalable, responsive, and semantically aware AI applications.
From powering retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to enabling real-time recommendations and search, discover why the future of AI depends on rethinking how we store and retrieve data.
2:25 – 2:40 PM
Andrew Marmon
Research Engineer, Google DeepMind
What happens when AI learns by interacting with the world, not just reading about it? Andrew Marmon explores how world models—AI systems that generate and simulate realistic environments—can train agents to perform real-world tasks, from following instructions to navigating physical spaces. A step toward AI that’s grounded, capable, and ready to act.
2:25 – 2:45 PM
MODERATOR: Hanan Alhaddi
Director and Chairman, Automotive AI Committee, CVTA
Mark Heynen
Co-Founder, Knapsack
Greg Whalen
CTO, Prove AI
As AI becomes more integrated into day-to-day business operations, a new wave of tools is emerging—focused not on public LLMs, but on private, secure, and tailored AI agents. This session brings together leaders at the forefront of this shift.
2:25 – 3:05 PM
MODERATOR: Andrew Schroeder
VP of Research and Analysis, Direct Relief
Hunter Goldman
Program Manager, Generative AI, Meta
Joel Myhre
Humanitarian Innovator & Co-Chair, UN Global Information Management Working Group for GIS
Under severe political pressure from authoritarian governments, democratic governance of AI is giving way to new forms of AI itself as a kind of governance structure. At the same time, global crises are expanding, humanitarian budgets are collapsing, and new demands for humanitarians to use AI to "do more with less" are rising.
How can humanitarians respond within the new circumstances of authoritarian AI governance to use AI safely, ethically and effectively to benefit vulnerable communities without placing them at greater risk?
2:40 – 3:10 PM
MODERATOR: Loretta Tioiela
Founder and Managing Partner, Next Sequence
Carlos Calva
Founder, Midbrain
Fatema Hamdani
Co-Founder, CEO & Director, Kraus Hamdani Aerospace
Ulrik Stig Hansen
President & Co-Founder, Encord
This discussion sets out to answer a big question: how do we give AI an internal model of the messy, physical world that’s good enough for real-world decisions? We’ll meet three founders attacking that problem from very different angles—foundation models, ultra-endurance drones, and data pipelines—and then look for common lessons.
2:45 – 3:05 PM
Adrian Ludwig
Chief Architect, Tools for Humanity
What will it take to build AI systems that are secure, scalable, and aligned with human needs? In this session, Adrian Ludwig- Chief Architect at Tools for Humanity - offers a behind-the-scenes look at the technical architecture powering the company’s bold vision: AI aligned with verified human identity. Best known for creating the Orb, a device used to establish proof of personhood for the World project, Tools for Humanity is tackling one of the most urgent challenges in the AI era—how to distinguish people from bots at global scale. Ludwig unpacks the systems behind privacy-preserving humanness verification, decentralized infrastructure, and the cryptographic foundations needed to enable inclusive, AI-ready platforms for billions of users.
3:10 – 3:30 PM
Daniel Erasmus
CEO, ClimateGPT / Full Member Club of Rome
As the climate crisis accelerates, so does the urgency for intelligent, scalable solutions. In this session, Daniel Erasmus introduces ClimateGPT, a platform using AI to model complex climate scenarios, support evidence-based policy, and empower local and global action. From carbon tracking to climate adaptation planning, discover how AI can help turn data into decisions—and hope into action.
3:10 - 3:30 PM
MODERATOR: Michelle Yi
Co-founder, Generationship
Josiah Hagen
Director of Global Threat Intelligence Research, Trend Micro
From data poisoning to prompt attacks, this session explores the hidden vulnerabilities in today’s models.
Learn how researchers are stress-testing AI to build systems that are safer, more secure, and harder to fool.
3:10 - 3:30 PM
MODERATOR: Monique van Dusseldorp
Content Director, World Summit AI, InspiredMinds!
Cecilia Shen
CEO & Co-Founder, Cybever
AI is quietly transforming Hollywood’s production pipeline, from previsualization and worldbuilding to full video generation, editing and visual effects. While these tools offer speed, scalability, and creative flexibility, they also raise important questions around authorship and artistic voice.
In this fireside chat, Cecilia Shen, CEO and Co-Founder of Cybever, shares how she and her team are using AI to support, not replace, the creative process. Drawing from real-world collaborations with studios and creators, she will explore how AI can streamline production workflows while preserving the craft at the heart of storytelling.
3:30 – 4:00 PM
4:00 – 4:20 PM
Shruthi Shetty
Global Vice President, Business AI Adoption and Applied AI, SAP
This keynote explores how Business AI innovations across enterprise applications are delivering value at scale and driving measurable returns on investment. Learn how unified AI copilots embedded throughout the application landscape, together with a growing ecosystem of AI agents automating tasks in finance, supply chain, and sales, are helping organizations accelerate decision making and enhance operational efficiency.
4:20 - 4:55 PM
MODERATOR: Michelle Yi
Co-founder, Generationship
Tony Jebara
VP of AI, Spotify
Vijay Karunamurthy
Field CTO, Scale AI
Prof Shuo Chen
General Partner, IOVC; Lecturer, Stanford
AI is rewriting how we relate to the world—what we buy, what we hear, how we care for ourselves. In this forward-looking session, leaders from tech, consumer goods, and enterprise software explore how AI is creating deeply personalised experiences at massive scale. From adaptive supply chains and real-time recommendations to AI-informed skincare and wellness, this conversation dives into the growing overlap between intelligence, identity, and individual agency. What does a truly personalised future look like—and who gets to shape it?
4:55 - 5:10 PM
Apurv Jain
Founder & CEO, MacroX
How do you quantify global change and its implications in real time, rather than wait 3 months for poor quality government data and listen to anecdotes from pundits? MacroX’s multimodal economist that synthesizes satellite imagery, social data, text, and other alternative data was successfully live tested at a leading $1T+ AUM manager for almost a year, where it substantially outperformed traditional economists in identifying alpha opportunities while offering a dramatic reduction in alternative data, AI, and expert human costs.
In this session, Apurv demonstrates how investors and decision-makers can use the Multimodal Economist to answer questions ranging from estimating Liberation Day growth shocks to the GDP to whether you should buy a home now.
5:10 - 5:30 PM
Pablos Holman
Managing Partner, Deep Future
Venture capital catalyzes technological advancements by transforming novel ideas into marketable realities. In the realm of deep technology, or “deep tech,” this transformation is particularly crucial. Deep tech encompasses scientific and engineering innovations that have the potential to revolutionize industries and address pressing global challenges.
5:30 – 5:35 PM
7:30 – 9:30 AM
9:30 – 9:50 AM
Maisie Holder
Managing Director, InspiredMinds!
Jonathan McCrea
Founder, Get Started with AI
9:50 – 10:10 AM
MODERATOR: Jonathan McCrea
Founder, Get Started with AI
Stuart Russell
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
How do we retain power over entities more powerful than us? In a conversation with Stuart Russell, we will explore the existential risks posed by misaligned AI superintelligence. To prevent AI from pursuing goals that conflict with humanity's well-being, we must rethink how we design these systems to retain control and safeguard our future
10:10 - 10:50 AM
MODERATOR: Fiona McEvoy
Technology & AI Ethics Writer, Researcher & Founder, YoutheData.com
Zarinah Agnew
Research Director, Collective Intelligence Project
Jeannette Gorzala
CEO and Founder, ACT AI NOW
Thomas Hurd
CEO, Zeki Data
Lucia Velasco
AI Policy Lead, United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
As AI becomes the defining infrastructure of the 21st century, a new global power struggle is underway—not just between companies, but between nations, systems, and ideologies. This high-level panel brings together leaders from the front lines of AI compute, deployment, and governance to examine who is shaping the future of intelligence. What role will governments play in regulating the AI stack? Who controls the chips, the data, the speed—and ultimately, the rules? Join a rare conversation at the intersection of hardware, strategy, and international policy.
10:50 - 11:10 AM
Lauren Vaccarello
CMO, WEKA
As AI models rapidly evolve to support complex reasoning and agentic workflows, their energy, memory, and computing demands are intensifying. Enterprises, AI model developers, and service providers are racing to improve their cost-per-token without sacrificing the speed of innovation, discovery, and time to market. Join WEKA’s Lauren Vaccarello to explore how optimizing your data architecture for ‘token economics’ can improve GPU utilization, energy efficiency, preserve capacity, and boost memory and performance, thereby increasing your profitability with AI.
11:10 - 11:40 AM
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM
Andrew Hessel
Chairman, Genome Project-write
Just as computing revolutionised the digital world, synthetic biology is set to transform the physical one, reshaping industries, economies, and even the boundaries of life itself. But with this power comes risk. As gene editing and bioengineering tools become more accessible, so too does the potential for accidental or intentional misuse.
In this thought-provoking session, Andrew Hessel, pioneer in synthetic biology, makes the case for building better systems for biological detection, defence, and governance. From AI-assisted biosecurity to the ethical frontiers of synthetic life, Hessel explores what it takes to responsibly harness biology as the next great platform.
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM
Ilana Wisby
CEO, Quantum Moth
André M. König
CEO, Global Quantum Intelligence
Is Quantum the end of AI as we know it—or its ultimate accelerator? This session explores how quantum breakthroughs could either disrupt or supercharge the AI revolution. With pioneers Ilana Wisby and André M. König, we dive into the paradox at the heart of Quantum AI.
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM
Vanessa Parli
Director of Research, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI
Each year, Stanford HAI’s AI Index provides one of the most comprehensive and authoritative snapshots of the global AI landscape, tracking technical progress, investments, regulation, education, and societal impact. In this exclusive briefing, Vanessa Parli, Director of Research at Stanford HAI and member of the AI Index Steering Committee, walks us through the key findings from the latest report. From the staggering cost of frontier model training to the rise of open-source alternatives and the shifting geography of talent and regulation, this session is a must-attend for anyone looking to understand where AI stands today—and where it’s headed next.
12:05 - 12:25 PM
Ravi Jain
Head of Product and Technology, Tapestry
Explore how AI and innovative technologies are revolutionizing industries, with a particular focus on AI’s impact in optimizing and modernizing the electric grid.
Discover how bold, experimental ideas in energy management are being transformed into scalable solutions, driving efficiency and sustainability across the electric grid.
Address the ethical considerations and challenges involved in deploying AI-driven technologies to ensure responsible, equitable, and sustainable improvements in critical infrastructure.
12:05 - 12:25 PM
Vijay Kotu
Chief Analytics Officer, ServiceNow
AI agents are transforming the way work gets done for people in customer service, sales, HR, finance, supply chain, IT support, application development, software engineering, security, and everything in between.
This session will share how Service Now integrated AI to achieve $350 million in annualized value through value drivers like productivity, case deflection, and self-service as well as giving practical advice for leaders on training and enhancing the skills of the workforce.
12:05 - 12:25 PM
Thomas Hurd
CEO, Zeki Data
In the race to lead in AI, talent, not patents or papers, may be the most valuable and overlooked signal of innovation. In this session, former UK national security leader Thomas Hurd reveals how Zeki Data uses intelligence-grade methods to map, score, and forecast global AI talent flows. From spotting early indicators of high-impact individuals to anticipating where breakthroughs will happen next, this talk uncovers how tracking people—not just technologies—can offer a decisive edge.
12:30 - 1:00 PM
MODERATOR: Sam De Brouwer
Co-Founder and CEO, XY.AI Labs
Subramaniam Balaji
Sr Director, Business Technology Platform, SAP Solution Advisory , SAP
Calum Chace
Co-Founder, Conscium
Nina Lopatina
Lead Developer Advocate, Contextual AI
As AI agents become more capable—autonomously retrieving data, taking actions, and even interacting with users—the question is no longer if they’ll shape our digital lives, but how. This panel brings together enterprise, developer, and governance perspectives to unpack the next wave of agentic AI. From domain-specific agents powered by RAG 2.0 to tools that verify agent identity and intent, our speakers explore what it takes to build intelligent systems that are not just powerful—but personalized, safe, and trustworthy. How will we control what we create? And who decides which agents deserve our trust?
12:30 - 1:00 PM
MODERATOR: Monique van Dusseldorp
Content Director, World Summit AI, InspiredMinds!
Dheeraj Jalali
CTO, Voices.com
Brooke Hopkins
Founder, Coval
Mike Zagorsek
Chief Operating Officer, SoundHound AI
Voice is racing past simple commands to become the interface that sells, serves, and surprises. In this conversational deep-dive, we pull back the curtain on the breakthroughs making that leap possible.
12:30 - 1:00 PM
Cedric Clyburn
Senior Developer Advocate, Red Hat
Legare Kerrison
Developer Advocate, Red Hat
We’re seeing the usage of Generative AI in all forms, from application development to enterprise usage and personalised customer experiences. It enables more efficient solutions and better-informed decisions, though the journey can feel overwhelming. Which foundation model should I use? How do I keep my data private and minimise cloud lock-in? How do I connect my model to existing databases, services, and more to get true value from AI?
The key to navigating this emerging path is adopting the flexibility, transparency, and collaboration of open source that many of us are familiar with. Join us for this workshop as we discuss the right practices and knowledge to approach common problems with generative AI. You’ll learn the leading tools for use cases such as model serving and scaling, agentic workflows, prototyping, fine-tuning, experimentation/evaluation, and more- built on Linux and Kubernetes! With live demos, you’ll see how to build with open source models and control your AI journey!
1:00 - 2:00 PM
2:00 - 2:25 PM
Divya Chander
CEO, Founder, Lucidify
2:00 - 2:25 PM
Kai Tier
Kai Tier, VP, Executive Creative Technology, Americas, R/GA
Before AI changes the world, someone has to design how it works, feels, and connects. In this session, R/GA explores why the future isn’t just about building AI tools—but designing intelligent brand solutions that evolve, respond, and create value in real time. You’ll see how AI is reshaping discovery, interaction, and identity—and why designing for the Intelligence Age may be the most important brief brands will face.
2:00 - 3:00 PM
Subramaniam Balaji
Sr Director, Business Technology Platform, SAP Solution Advisory, SAP
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is rapidly becoming the preferred pattern for enterprises that want the creativity of large language models and the precision of their own data. In this hands-on session, SAP’s Applied AI team demystifies RAG—from the first prompt to a production-grade pipeline.
2:30 - 2:55 PM
Rob Petrosino
Strategic Engagement Advisor - AI, FBI
Step into the evolving battlefield where generative AI collides with deception, influence, and national security. This session pulls back the curtain on the rise of deepfakes and AI-powered manipulation—how they’re built, who’s deploying them, and what that means for public trust, cybersecurity, and information integrity.
From cutting-edge detection tools to real-world mitigation strategies, this isn’t just a tech talk—it’s a reality check from someone who’s seen it play out in both public and private sectors.
2:30 - 2:50 PM
Kay Hofmeester
Creative Director, University of Washington
How do you design a product when intelligence is no longer just in the cloud, but embedded in the object itself? In this session, Hofmeester explores the creative and technical challenges of designing physical products that integrate AI—whether they’re wearables, interactive tools, or smart environments.
Learn how AI and hardware can be fused to create devices that feel intuitive, adaptive, and seamlessly part of our lives
2:55 - 3:10 PM
MODERATOR: Monique van Dusseldorp
Content Director, World Summit AI, InspiredMinds!
Rajarshi Gupta
Head of AI and Machine Learning, Coinbase
Autonomous AI agents are rapidly gaining traction, but to operate at scale, they need reliable systems for transacting and verifying actions in a seamless and transactional manner. This session explores how onchain infrastructure can serve as a key enabler for AI agents by providing verifiable execution and seamless 24/7 access to digital money. Rajarshi can discuss how AI and blockchain are converging to unlock new levels of automation for companies at scale, why trustless systems matter for agent reliability, and what it takes to build the foundational infrastructure that supports secure, autonomous interactions.
3:00 - 3:30 PM
Alex Iftimie
Deputy General Counsel, OpenAI
Robert Silvers
Partner, Ropes & Gray & former Under Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the global security map. From secure code development and responsible vulnerability discovery to disrupting criminal networks and combating drug trafficking, AI is becoming a vital tool for governments and institutions. It plays an increasing role in safeguarding critical infrastructure, including powering technology to counter malicious drone traffic. Yet its power also opens the door to new and unpredictable threats: AI-generated bioweapons, automated cyberattacks, and geopolitical instability driven by an accelerating tech arms race between global superpowers like the U.S. and China.
In this headline session, two leading experts will unpack how AI is reshaping the national and global security landscape, revealing both the opportunities and urgent risks. What must we do now to secure our societies in an AI-driven world?
3:10 - 3:30 PM
Sunzay Passari
Sr Director, Innovation & Transformation, UPS
AI is not just for optimizing operations it can drive measurable profit. In this session, Sunzay Passari shares how to leverage machine learning, predictive analytics, and intelligent routing to cut costs, improve delivery accuracy, and unlock new efficiencies at scale. From fleet optimization to forecasting and customer experience, AI can become central to your transformation strategy. Hear first-hand how innovation translates directly to the bottom line
3:10 - 3:30 PM
Rembrand Koning
Co-director of the Tech for All Lab at the Digital Data Design Institute, Harvard (D^3); Mary V. and Mark A. Stevens Associate Professor, Harvard Business School
3:30 - 4:00 PM
4:00 - 4:20 PM
Melissa Valentine
Associate Professor of Management Science and Engineering and Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI
While discussions about AI often focus on personal adoption or fears of job displacement, the real revolution is unfolding within organizations—the engines of our economy and society. This session will guide an engaging and forward-thinking exploration into the transformative role of AI -powered organizations. Organizations thrive on specialized yet coordinated workflows. How can AI enhance these systems, enabling smarter decision-making and adaptive capabilities? This session dives into three groundbreaking real-world examples where AI is not just a tool but a partner in reshaping how organizations evolve, collaborate, and innovate.
4:20 - 4:35 PM
Calum Chace
Co-Founder, Conscium
Will machines ever become truly conscious—and should they? In this thought-provoking session, futurist and author Calum Chace explores the frontier of artificial consciousness. Chace unpacks the scientific, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of conscious AI. As we enter an era where AI systems mimic thought, perception, and even emotion, the question is no longer just what AI can do, but what it is. Are we ready for the implications?
4:35 - 4:55 PM
MODERATOR: Fiona McEvoy
Technology & AI Ethics Writer, Researcher & Founder, YoutheData.com
Erin Boyd
Chief Digital Commercial Transformation Officer, AES
Brian Gitt
Head of Business Development, Oklo
As tech giants race to dominate AI, energy has become the new bottleneck. Powering the next generation of data centers—and reaching net zero—will require a radical rethink of how we generate and manage electricity. In this session, Erin Boyd (AES) explores how AI is both increasing short-term energy demand and enabling long-term sustainability. She discusses how AI can optimize grids and accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy. Joining her is Brian Gitt (Oklo), who presents a new approach to fast, flexible, and clean power generation by combining small modular nuclear reactors with natural gas technologies. Together, they paint a picture of an AI-powered energy future that is both resilient and sustainable.
4:55 - 5:10 PM
Scott Wiener
State Senator, California's 11th Senatorial District
5:10 - 5:30 PM
Ben Goertzel
CEO, ASI Alliance
What if AGI could be both powerful and benevolent—and built outside the control of tech giants? In this visionary session, Ben Goertzel, a long-time advocate of open, decentralised artificial general intelligence, outlines the roadmap to AGI that serves humanity, not corporate or state interests. Drawing on his work with the ASI Alliance and TrueAGI, Goertzel explores the architecture, values, and collaborative structures needed to create truly ethical, distributed intelligence. Can blockchain, open-source ecosystems, and global cooperation prevent a centralised AGI monopoly, and what happens if we fail?
5:30 - 5:35 PM
By the time a trend is being mass-marketed - like many of the ones mentioned in this article - innovators are already experimenting with new strategies behind the scenes. With this in mind, it's important to keep trends in perspective by following the ones that compliment your business and continuing to experiment outside of mainstream practices. In other words, don't overlook the possibility of starting your own trends.