The rise of artificial intelligence is an enduring theme in science fiction and has long shaped how we imagine machine consciousness.

As AI moves from pop culture entertainment to an everyday reality, new narratives emerge. What stories are being told, both optimistic and dystopian, and what responsibilities do technologists, creators, and storytellers have to the future?

Join our expert panel of engineers, science communicators, and sci-fi writers to discuss the challenges and opportunities of telling one of the 21st century's most urgent stories.

This panel is presented in partnership with the Arthur C. Clarke Award, named for writer, futurist, and King’s College London alum, Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

You do not need any prior knowledge of AI to enjoy this event.

Register on Eventbrite.

Speakers

Suw Charman-Anderson is the founder of Ada Lovelace Day, the international celebration of women in STEM. Prior to that, she was a social technologist helping companies adopt collaborative tools, and a technology journalist, writing for The Guardian, CIO Magazine and Forbes amongst others.

Stewart Hotston is a science fiction writer and chair of the British Science Fiction Association, with a PhD in theoretical physics and a career in the City of London. His latest novel, Project Hanuman, will be published in November 2025 by Angry Robot books.

Tiarna Lee is a PhD student at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London. Her research focuses on evaluating fairness and biases in Artificial Intelligence (AI) used for cardiac imaging.

Professor Kawal Rhode is Head of Education for the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences. He has more than 400 publications in journals, conference proceedings, book chapters, and patents, and is an ardent fan of retro video games and computer technologies.

Chair: Tom Hunter is the Director of the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

King's Festival of Artificial Intelligence

This event is part of the King’s Festival of Artificial Intelligence. Running from Tuesday 20 May to Saturday 24 May, the free, five-day festival brings together a diverse line-up of experts to consider critical questions about artificial intelligence in the context of healthcare, education, sustainability, policy, and creativity.

If you are interested in this event, you may also want to join us for:

• The Digital Futures of Literature
• Magic, Minds, and the Mysteries of AI

Festival events will take place across several King’s venues, so please check carefully where the event is taking place. Festival event times may be subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to attendees via Eventbrite emails.

Please note, King's events are free, which means we routinely overbook to allow for no-shows and avoid empty seats. Admission is on a first come, first served basis, so please arrive in good time to avoid disappointment. We will not be able to admit those without tickets or latecomers.