2026 Program
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Day One – Tuesday 5 May, 2026
Day One: May 5, 2026
Optional pre-forum film screening for delegates
An invitation to watch 'The AI Doc', a 2026 Sundance-selected documentary born from one filmmaker's anxiety about becoming a father in the age of AI at Cinema Nova. Registrations essential.
Day One: May 5, 2026
Lanyard collection & Cloakroom service
Day One: May 5, 2026
Welcome to Country followed by opening words from Small Giants Academy co-founders Berry Liberman and Danny Almagor.
Day One: May 5, 2026
Audrey Tang (virtual) in conversation with Toby Walsh
Audrey Tang turned Taiwan into the world's most compelling experiment in digital democracy. What happens when a government actually trusts its citizens and builds technology to prove it?'
Day One: May 5, 2026
A special dinner to welcome everyone to the Wisdom & Action Forum - a chance to share a meal and get to know the Forum community
Day Two – Wednesday, 6 May
Lanyard Collection & Cloakroom service. Settle into the day with tea, coffee and morning snacks available in the Industrial School
Opening & Intention Setting
The Forum is a space to explore the defining questions of our time - holding both wisdom and action. What principles might guide us? What practices and collaborations can we build together?
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Tristan Harris (virtual) in conversation with Krista Tippett
As AI accelerates, what does it mean to build in service of life? What becomes possible when we expand our understanding of intelligence beyond the human? Insights and provocations with Tristan Harris
Panel discussion with Krista Tippett, A.C. Grayling, Monique Ryan & Danny Almagor
The foundations of trust are shifting. As AI reshapes everything from information to institutions, how do we decide what to believe, who to rely on, and where to place our faith?
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A 30 minute break to grab a cup of tea and move into conversation circles.
Follow what resonates and gather in smaller groups to engage, listen and reflect in one of the sessions below.
with Cameron Adams, Amie Kaufman, Edward Tsoi & Joel Pearlman
In a world of AI-generated music, art and media, can we still trust what we see, hear and share? Can we trust communication itself?
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with Catriona Wallace, Sue Keay, Matt Kuperholz & Mele-Ane Havea
Can we trust technology to drive our cars, design our cities, and make decisions for us? Algorithms now perform tasks once reserved for humans: from AI nurses to systems designed for resilience.
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with Nathaniel Diong, Cynthia Elachi, Toby Walsh & Danny Almagor
As AI reshapes work, can Universal Basic Income protect dignity and redefine purpose in a world beyond labour? What happens to leisure, taxation, and social cohesion when the link breaks?
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with A.C. Grayling, Jess Scully & Kaj Lofgren
From Cambridge Analytica to TikTok politics, who's really shaping what we believe? What does trust look like when political discourse is engineered by personal data and driven by division?
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with Andrew Pask, Arabella Eyre, Caroline Chubb Calderon & Dave Ritter
From bio-engineering to planetary systems, AI is reshaping how we interact with the natural world. Can these technologies support regeneration and align with the principle that sustain living systems?
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Nourishment by our friends at Slow Food Catering
What happens when we create with intelligence that is not fully human?
Cortical Labs are building computers from living neurons. As biology and technology converge, what new forms of creativity emerge?
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Panel discussion with Cameron Adams, Ben Shewry, Holly Rankin & Berry Liberman
As AI reshapes how we design, write, and imagine, we explore the expanding possibilities of creativity. When intelligence is abundant, but discernment and responsibility must remain human.
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A 15 minute break to grab a cup of tea and move into conversation circles.
Follow what resonates and gather in smaller groups to engage, listen and reflect in one of the sessions below.
With Bryony Cole, Joel Pearson & Alexander Beiner
We are turning to AI for care, counsel and even love. When these systems listen and respond better than people, what does that mean for our relationships and humanity itself?
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with Neil Durrant, Radha Lokuge-Hayes, Isabel Lu & Mietta Symmons-Joyce
In a classroom where AI knows more than the teacher, how do we cultivate curiosity, empathy and discernment - and how do we nurture critical thinking and emotional intelligence?
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with Indy Johar (Virtual), Samy Mansour & Eleanor Gammell
AI is rewriting the rules of the economy, attracting all of the capital and attention. Who and what gets left behind? Can we trust the market and its makers to keep humanity at the centre?
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with Jarrel Seah, Tonya Higgins, Damon O'Sullivan & Tamsin Jones
As AI enters the systems that care for us, from hospitals to mental health services, what happens to human care? Where can technology replace, and where must the human remain central?
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Cheryl Batagol, Jack Dan, Brett Kagan and Sue O'Connor
AI is driving new demand for energy and water, particularly through data centres. How do we manage these impacts and where might these technologies help improve efficiency and power new solutions.
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15 minutes to move back to the main room for close.
with Angus Hervey
The loudest AI stories come from Silicon Valley but what breakthroughs are quietly transforming health, education, and livelihoods worldwide, and which narratives will we choose to tell?
with Wattle Bank Farm
Blending mindful walking with horse meditation to support relaxation, presence and emotional wellbeing in a calm environment.
Evening Gathering with Dinner & Drinks
Carry the day’s conversations into the evening, sharing a nourishing dinner together.
Day Three – Thursday 7 May
Lanyard Collection & Cloakroom service. Settle into the day with tea, coffee and morning snacks available in the Industrial school.
with Samuel Beard & Berry Liberman
Samuel Beard & Berry Liberman opens the final day with a brief reflection on what has emerged and orient towards the conversations ahead.
15 minute keynote from Australia's e-Safety Commissioner
Some thoughts from the frontline of Australia's online safety, sharing key achievements, emerging risks, and what’s shifting in the digital landscape as AI accelerates.
Panel conversation with Svetha Venkatesh, Julie Inman Grant, Edward Tsoi & Eleanor Gammell
As AI spreads through society, privacy and security are no longer abstract - they shape trust, power, and freedom. How do we protect individuals, institutions, and nations from misuse and harm?
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A 30 minute break to grab a cup of coffee/tea and move into conversation circles.
Follow what resonates and gather in smaller groups to engage, listen and reflect in one of the sessions below.
with Julie Inman Grant, Lucy Thomas, Edward Tsoi & Tamsin Jones
As AI accelerates beyond our institutions, can law and ethics keep pace? How do we protect the public and those most at risk? We explore the human consequences and what it will take address them.
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with Svetha Venkatesh, Lizzie O'Shea, Dave Lemphers & Eleanor Gammell
Smart cities promise safety and connection, but at what cost to privacy? Who really governs our digital infrastructure?
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with Didier Elzinga, Joel Pearson, Orla Glynn & Andrew Davies
AI promises speed, scale and productivity. But it also raises serious questions about power, displacement and oversight. This is a conversation for anyone navigating leadership and business.
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with Toby Walsh, Greg Sadler & Danny Almagor
AI is reshaping power on a global scale, from intelligence gathering to autonomous drones. Can we trust technology to protect us, or will AI in defence and surveillance undermine global peace?
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with A.C. Grayling, Catriona Wallace, Tiberio Caetano & Matt Kuperholz
As AI systems grow more autonomous, can they ever be conscious - or deserving of rights? Exploring new frontiers in digital agency and personhood.
Nourishment by our friends at Slow Food Catering.
with Monique diMattina
There are some things only humans can do - like the deep resonance, the joyful embodied connection of group singing. Composer/lyricist Monique diMattina leads five minutes of instant harmony.
with Krista Tippett, Lydia Fairhall, Didier Elzinga & Alexander Beiner
As intelligence is automated and agency outsourced, how do we preserve what makes us human - and can we reclaim trust, meaning, and mystery before technology displaces our spirit?
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A 30 minute break to grab a cup of coffee/tea and move into action sessions.
What VALUES should we hold sacred in this sector? What the most likely SCENARIOS for how AI changes this sector ? What are the specific ACTION this sector should take in the next year?
with Danny Almagor & Orla Glynn
Workshop the future of work & examine how jobs, skills, purpose, and power may evolve in an AI-shaped economy.
with Kaj Lofgren and Rob Shorter
Workshop a design of a future city, looking at art and culture, transport, city design, food and finance.
with Tamsin Jones & Moira Were
Workshop the future of democracy & consider how governance, participation, media, and truth may shift in an age of AI.
with Eleanor Gammell & Maia Gould
Workshop the future of education & reimagine learning, teaching, and knowledge in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
with Catherine Wilkinson & Rachel Lowry
Workshop the future of our environment & reflect on climate, biodiversity, energy, and regeneration in an AI-enabled world.
with Alexander Beiner & Bryony Cole
Workshop the future of human connection - reflecting on relationships, identity, community, and belonging in a digitally mediated world.
with Dewani Shebubakar & Joel Pearlman
Workshop the future of creativity & question authorship, expression, and the role of human imagination alongside AI.
with Gregory Sadler, Emily Grundy & Nathan Sherburn
Step into a future where artificial general intelligence is imminent, and navigate high-stakes decisions as world leaders, AI executives, and civil society through this tabletop exercise.
with Pete Bland & Beatrice Imbert from Wattle Bank Farm
Equine therapy to support relaxation, presence and emotional wellbeing in a tranquil environment.
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15 minutes to move back to Magdalen Laundry.
with Danny Almagor & Berry Liberman
A chance to reflect on what has emerged, share what has shifted, and hear what others in the room are carrying forward as we bring the Forum to a close.
Forum After Party
The Wisdom & Action 2026 Forum has come to a close. Join us for an optional drink at Cam's as we reflect on the conversations and connections that have shaped these last few days.
Optional Events
Friday, May 8, 2026
A morning philosophy session with A.C. Grayling
Monday, May 11, 2026
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