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About this talk

The Connected Life Summit is a one-day, student-led conference focused on what it means to live in an increasingly connected world. It is supported by the Oxford Internet Institute and will be hosted at the Oxford Union on Thursday, 25 June 2026. The Summit will bring together researchers, business leaders, and policymakers to explore how technology shapes society, and how society shapes technology. Around 100 invited participants will take part in smaller, closed sessions during the day. From 4pm, the event opens to a wider audience in the Oxford Union Debate Chamber, where up to 200 attendees will join a public debate on the future of global AI governance. For over nine centuries, Oxford has been a place where intellectual and technological transformations have been studied and debated. The Connected Life Summit builds on that tradition by examining how new forms of intelligence build on longstanding questions of governance, ethics, and social organisation. Themes include: Data & Insights – How new forms of intelligence reshape our understanding of society Tech & Culture – How digital systems transform everyday life and social norms Governance & Power – Who shapes emerging technologies, and who they serve Ethics & Inequality – How innovation can be pursued responsibly and fairly Register your interest in joining the invite only daytime session here by the 27th May. Limited slots are available and allocations will be made on May 28. Public Session Agenda Join us 4-6pm for a debate on the topic of “This House Believes that AI is the Great Equalizer” Tickets cost £20. 16:15 – 16:30 Debate Chamber Host: Howard Leong Welcome to Public Session Howard Leong, Chair, Connected Life Summit Deloitte 16:30 – 18:00 Debate Chamber Host: Howard Leong Motion: This House Believes that AI is the Great Equalizer Proposition: Vilas Dhar, President and Trustee, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Dr. Fazl Barez, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Martin School Opposition: Dex Hunter-Torricke, Former Head of Communications, Google DeepMind / Elon Musk / Mark Zuckerberg Dr. Rachel Adams, Executive Director, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence and Global Centre on AI Governance Rachel Coldicutt OBE, Executive Director, Careful Industries Note: Portable ramps allow wheelchairs to access the Debating Chamber, Goodman Library, and Members’ Bar. There is a RADAR key accessible disabled toilet on the ground floor. The other rooms are reached by stairs. The Oxford Union does not have a lift. Please note tickets are non-refundable and are valid only for the public session 4-6pm, 25th June. For more information visit https://connectedlife.oii.ox.ac.uk/ If you have questions, please email connectedlife@oii.ox.ac.uk.

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