Events & Press

AI for Future, 2nd Edition brought the Italian innovation world to San Francisco. Organized by We Make Future (WMF) and Search On Media Group of Bologna, and hosted at the Mind the Bridge Innovation Center — a home for cross-border innovation exchange — the event coincided with the Startup World Cup Global Summit. Co-author Jeff Abbott joined a featured panel on AI in building startups and investing, alongside Angelo Del Priore, director of corporate venture capital at Hewlett Packard; Alicia Hanf, director of ecosystem development at LG Nova; and Jess Butler.

Nine presenting startups — each a winner of a WMF local pitch competition in Italy — took the stage ahead of the global summit. The evening closed with a book signing: every speaker, panelist, and presenting founder went home with a copy of AI and the Art of Being Human, along with many in the crowd, and Jeff sat for an interview on the book itself.

What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? The panel brought professional and humanistic perspectives to the ethical and human dimensions of AI — how emerging technologies can be developed and used in ways that serve humanity while preserving distinctly human capabilities and values.

Speakers: Uvika Sharma (Founder, INTLDA and AAWAAI), Kiran Bhujle (Global Head of Cyber, SVAM; Columbia University faculty), Sebastian Budinich (Theology Professor, Fordham & Manhattan Universities), and Blanca Ireri Espinosa (Director of Communications, Global Council for Responsible AI).

A roundtable on the real human impact of AI across work, identity, education, well-being, relationships, and creativity — where AI can free up time, expand human capabilities, and improve dignity, and where it risks trust, attention, relationships, and meaning.

With special guest Bruno Giussani, moderated by Gaetano Biondo, and a roundtable of voices from across the Ticino ecosystem, the conversation addressed AI literacy, cognitive autonomy, and how people can maintain critical thinking and “sovereignty of mind” while using increasingly powerful AI systems.

How AI can amplify human potential as it transforms the way people work, create, communicate, and build careers — with a focus on two increasingly vital human capabilities: communicating ideas with clarity and impact, and building meaningful, future-ready careers.

Speakers included Shiv Bhardwaj on presence and human connection, Nicholas Wong on giving multilingual professionals a voice, and Darshana Shah on AI literacy and workforce development. Founder stories and startup spotlights rounded out the evening.

Humanity’s role and identity in the age of AI: using the book’s Human Qualities Spectrum and real-world AI dilemmas, participants considered which capabilities AI can replicate, which relational qualities it can approximate, and what remains uniquely human.

A panel spanning AI21 Labs, Elementor, Kyndryl, Hi4AI, and the investment world — joined by co-author Jeff Abbott — extended the conversation into organizational transformation, changing professional identities, trust, cognitive dependence, creativity, and leadership.

What does it mean to remain human as AI becomes integrated into work and society? The event examined the evolving relationship between human and artificial intelligence, emerging AI trends, and how organizations must continuously adapt and experiment as the technology advances.

The program combined an organizational and regulatory perspective on human-centered AI with startup innovation. Startup spotlights: Lendit and ArtCentrica.

An interactive workshop on what remains uniquely human as AI takes on more of our work and capabilities: how AI is reshaping professional skills and knowledge work, what human abilities may become obsolete or need reinventing, and how to preserve human agency and identity in an AI-driven world.

The session was designed as a conversation — table discussions rather than a traditional speaker panel.

The event explored responsible AI and developments in the Dutch AI ecosystem, including work on GPT-NL, with perspectives from Lieke Dom (Responsible AI at TNO, working on GPT-NL) and Merel Noorman (Associate Professor at HvA).

The program featured responsible-AI perspectives followed by community demo pitches, open discussion, and networking.

AI and human flourishing through the lens of religion, spirituality, and Buddhist philosophy: how AI is reshaping belief, religious practice, daily life, and human connection — and where emerging technology aligns with ancient wisdom, and where it falls short.

The experience combined discussion with an opening chant, a Buddhist Dharma talk, guided meditation, and collective reflection on humanity’s evolving relationship with AI.

The event explored how AI can support human flourishing while preserving human agency and independence. Discussions covered brand voice and conversational AI, AI-powered recruiting, digital well-being, and the rise of AI-enabled solopreneurship.

Participants also examined the risks of AI dependence — cognitive over-reliance, model bias, concentration among a few AI providers — and the importance of maintaining human judgment as AI becomes integrated into daily life. Startup spotlights: Humanaz.AI and Orbe App.

The discussion explored the values, desired outcomes, and guardrails that should shape the future of AI — human responsibility and decision-making, the challenge of embedding human values into AI systems, and whether responsibility is already being delegated to technology.

Participants explored AI’s potential to improve quality of life and augment human work, while raising concerns about over-reliance, loss of critical-thinking skills, environmental and societal costs, embedded bias, and excessive technological control. A recurring theme: keeping humans at the center as AI agents become part of work and everyday life.

Co-author Jeff Abbott traveled to INCmty, the entrepreneurship festival hosted on the campus of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, to deliver a keynote on the book before an audience of more than 100 — handing out copies of AI and the Art of Being Human and staying long afterward to talk with students and staff.

A former visiting professor at the Tec, Jeff called it a special homecoming: coming back to share the book where he once taught.

Where Ancient Tradition Meets Artificial Intelligence.

AI Salon Osaka is reborn. For our inaugural event, we are not just gathering—we are creating a pilgrimage to the heart of innovation, hosted within the sacred grounds of one of Osaka's oldest temples, Tōji.

This is more than a tech event. It is a statement. A vision for a future where advanced AI respects and integrates with millennial culture. We believe the next wave of innovation will not come from sterile labs, but from the fusion of deep technology and deep humanity.

AI is Acting for us--Who Are We Becoming?

Who are we who use AI to construct our futures?
What it means to be human is fundamentally wrapped up in our relationships with the technologies we develop and use to design and build economies and societies and reshape the Earth's environment. Today, artificial intelligence is at the heart of that project. Global futures are rapidly being rewritten at the intersection of engineering, innovation, venture capital, and what each of us chooses to do as we put AI to work in our lives.Join us for a fascinating conversation with two of today's leading thinkers about how we can make the future of AI work to our collective benefit as stewards of the human future and our planetary home. Their new book, AI and the Art of Being Human, is essential reading as we grapple, individually and collectively as a species, with how to rediscover our humanity through our interactions with a technology that is designed to mimic what we've always thought most clearly separated us from nature and machines.As Claude says to open the book:"Go be human. Not because you must, but because the universe would be diminished without your particular way of stumbling toward beauty."Panelists:
Andrew Maynard is a scientist, author, professor of advanced technology transitions in ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, and founder of the Future of Being Human community. He studies the future and how our actions influence it.Jeffrey Abbot is a Founding Partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and Founder and AI Community Builder at AI Salon. An expert in strategy, entrepreneurship, and business development, he co-founded Blitzscaling Academy, showcasing his expertise in building communities and accelerating startups through strategic planning and leadership.Moderator:
Clark A. Miller is a theorist and designer of techno-human futures and an expert in how we use technology and weave it into our societies, economies, and environments. He is a professor in ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, director of the Center for Energy & Society, and convener of the Technology for Good initiative.Additional information
Book cover image.jpg (1.42 MB)Event contact
School for the Future of Innovation in Societysfis@asu.eduFacebookTwitterLinkedInSnapchatPinterestEmailShareDateTuesday, November 4, 2025
Add to calendar | Add to Google calendarTuesday, November 4, 2025
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.Time2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (MST)
LocationWalton Center for Planetary Health Auditorium (WCPH 107)
777 E. University Drive Tempe AZ 85287CostFree

The AI Salon chapter in Lisbon, Portugal, organized by Nancy Brito and Paulo Pinho of Ground Capital, held its launch event at the AI Hub inside the Unicorn Factory.

After opening remarks by Jeff Abbott, founder of AI Salon Global Community, AI and the Art of Being Human co-author Andrew Maynard was welcomed as the featured keynote spealer.

Andrew delivered a compelling presentation on the most impactful next wave of coming technology transitions and their impact on society, based on his work as a Professor in the Rob Walton College of Global Futures at Arizona State University (ASU). 

After laying the groundwork for an understanding of the social impact of advancing new technologies, in particular artificial intelligence, Andrew presented the core ideas contained in AI and the Art of Being Human as a set of attitude and practices, combined with a powerful , designed to guide human beings towards developing and continuing to iterate on a personal roadmap to thriving with AI.  

After the event, both and Andrew and Jeff were on hand to engage with guests and held a book sale and signing. 

AI Salon is the global community bringing together AI founders, builders, investors, and partners to connect and collaborate.

On October 13th, co-authors Jeffrey Abbott and Andrew Maynard officially launched the book before an audience of over 100 people at AESE, Portugal’s leading school of management.  The audience included senior executives, AI researchers, educators, startups, investors and government leaders.   

Andrew Maynard made introductory remarks and presented the thesis of the book, and was then joined on stage by co-author Jeff Abbott for a panel moderated by AESE professor of commercial and marketing policy, AI Francesco Costigliola. 

A book signing event was held after the event. 

Andrew Maynard and Jeffrey Abbott hosted a curated group of nearly 40 members of the AI Salon Phoenix community at the installations of the ASU Institute for the Future of Being Human for a "soft launch" of AI and the Art of Being Human, previewing some of its core ideas in an intimate and informal setting.