Events

We offer open and participatory events that showcase interdisciplinary work and impact and spark ideas, inspiration and debate. 

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Project Deep Dive: David Williamson Shaffer

Digital Scholarship Centre Main Library, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh

ChatGPT and the other new advances in artificial intelligence have the potential to change work, education, and even what it means to “think” in the first place. In this talk, Professor David Williamson Shaffer looks at what AI is (and isn’t), its impact on what and how we learn, and how AI can change what ... Read more

Where are AI’s publics?

Inspace 1 Crichton Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What role should the public have in shaping Artificial Intelligence (AI)? Should the public have a voice in how AI is being developed and used, and how it’s governed and regulated? And how might a diverse cross section of the public be involved in the decisions made by big tech, regulatory bodies, and local and national government?

AI as the Broken Machine

Playfair Library Hall Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Join this one-day symposium on 'Artificial Intelligence as the Broken Machine' with invited keynote speaker Prof. Louise Amoore.

CDCS Summer School 2024

Edinburgh Futures Institute 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Join the Centre for Data, Culture & Society for their 5-day Summer School.

The Creative AI Forum

The Boardwalk 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom

This event will showcase the potential for AI in the creative industries.

TikTok: Work, Time, and Play in a Platform Economy

Lister Learning and Teaching Centre 5 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh

TikTok: Work, Time, and Play in a Platform Economy brings together papers that analyse emerging digital visual culture(s) and aesthetics through critical platform analyses.

Economics of Financial Technology Conference

Auditorium, Business School, The University of Edinburgh 29 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This conference will share new insights and discuss the economic issues related to the application of technology within finance in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

How to Reclaim Our Humanity in the Age of AI

Topping & Company Booksellers of Edinburgh 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh

Join us to celebrate publication of Shannon Vallor's latest work The AI Mirror, one of the most important books we can read right now to find our way through the AI-hype headlines and harness its power to reinvigorate our sense of human agency and possibility.

Creative Tech Scotland Gathering

Informatics Forum, The University of Edinburgh 10 Crichton Street, Edinburgh

An exciting day of cutting-edge creative tech keynotes, demos, and panels, with workshops and a closing reception with an interactive performance!

Free

AI as a creative companion for academia

St Leonard's Hall 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh

Anthropic’s workshops aim to show the Fringe community how AI assistants can help with burdensome tasks, and to hear your feedback as we all shape the future of this technology together.

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Power trip event season event flyer

POWER TRIP

Our Autumn 2023 programme of events explored leadership in all its forms – from the seats of power to the front lines of activist movements and even in our own workplaces.

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Love Machine event season digital flyer

Love machine

Our Spring 2023 programme of events explored the interconnections of AI and data with humanity through conversations, performances, and workshops.

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First Breath Autumn Event Season brand leader. Image of dandelion and umbrellas on orange background. Text reads: 'First Breath: Autumn Event Season'. Includes Edinburgh Futures Institute logo.

First Breath

Our Autumn 2022 programme featured more than 20 events exploring crisis, migration, displacement and equality coalescing around the theme of Climate Justice.

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"The production and intellectual content of your recent events has been fantastic! Thank you for the opportunity to attend and learn. This is probably the best event I have been to all year."

Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023

"Really, really impressed with Futures Institute events. Properly impressive speakers, and seamless technical management. Thank you for keeping them hybrid/online – it's a really nice way to keep in touch!"

Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023

"Amazing! I hope that Utopia Lab can ring in every event season, the dream space that you curate and allow to flourish is an important and novel lens that Edinburgh Futures Institute offers partners, students, staff, researchers and anyone with an interest in collaborative thinking and doing."

Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023

Our public events seasons are co-created with people from across the University of Edinburgh. If you'd like to contribute ideas for the programme please contact the events team.

Call for proposals

Meet the events team

Headshot of Alice Carr

Alice Carr

Events Co-ordinator
Headshot of Fraser Pringle

Fraser Pringle

Project & Events Administrator
Headshot of Ioannis Kalkounos

Ioannis Kalkounos

Programme Manager
Lewis Williams

Lewis Williams

Events Technician

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