

Awakening the better angels Part 2. Merit selection and leadership
Nicholas Gruen Founder Lateral Economics
2. Merit selection and leadership
We think of our society as broadly meritocratic, but we’re the first civilisation that can’t build beautiful buildings. Almost invariably our leaders have won a competition to lead — a competition for fame, money, power. But that makes leadership about that competition, not goodness or serving others. Should the leaders of our public bureaucracy, our schools, hospitals, not-for-profits, libraries, media really be those who’ve out-competed their rivals and if self-assertion is a precondition for promotion, how does that bias the ‘gene pool’ from which our leaders emerge.

Sentient Design: AI and the Next Chapter of UX
Josh Clark Principal Big Medium
Sentient Design is the already-here future of intelligent interfaces: AI-mediated experiences that feel almost self-aware in their response to user needs. This is so much more than chatbots (and also much less, in exciting ways). Sentient Design moves past static presentation to transform user experiences into radically adaptive stories, conceived and compiled in real time. This experience design will animate the next generation of our craft.
There’s a lot, a lot, a lot going on here—tons of new opportunities, tons of new pitfalls. How do we realize the benefits while contending with the risks? Designer Josh Clark shares a framework of principles and techniques that you can apply in your own work today (yes, today!). It’s about AI, but also not.
By focusing on people instead of technology, Sentient Design offers a chance to build systems that bend to human needs, instead of the reverse. Josh explains how we can do it.

Beyond the Noise: Data Visualisation’s Role in Shaping Tomorrow
Jack Zhao Data Visualisation Specialist, Director/Co-Founder Small Multiples
In this era of post-scarcity where the volume of data across the world doubles in size every two years and everything is one ChatGPT prompt away, the question arises: How do we channel this abundance into innovation and creativity? Jack Zhao delves into the evolution of data visualisation over the past decade, examining its trajectory through the interplay of data, people, and purpose. This exploration aims to equip the audience with practical strategies to foster innovation.

Why We Need Fiction
Joan Westenberg writer, investor, philosopher and founder
Stories Still Fucking Matter in a Data-Driven World.
We’re living in the age of information overload. Time is precious. Why not cut to the chase and absorb knowledge in its purest form?
Because that’s not the way knowledge works.
Sometimes, the only way to really get at the truth is through a lie. And that’s not just a metaphor — it’s a fundamental aspect of how our brains work, how we learn, and how we grow.