We’re at the beginning of a major platform shift. Artificial intelligence is enabling a new kind of computer that upends the entire stack — from how we design interfaces, to how we build and distribute software, to what we even mean by an “app.” In this session, we’ll explore how AI clients will displace the web and traditional apps, and why it’s urgent that this platform develops in the open. We’ll discuss emerging protocols, and consider what it means to create and publish for an ecosystem that’s still taking shape.

Design and product discovery have given us powerful frameworks and artifacts—journey maps, Miro boards, Figma files—that shaped how we work. But have these tools become rituals? Like the scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages clinging to Latin texts before the Renaissance, we may have fallen in love with the artifacts themselves rather than the outcomes they serve. With AI and large language models, we now have the ability to prototype ideas faster, test assumptions sooner, and even rethink the very notion of the MVP. Why settle for “minimal” when you can generate more, faster, and with less friction? Xavier Rizos explores how rituals emerge when meaning is lost—when process replaces purpose. By connecting ancient wisdom to modern design practice, we’ll ask: how can we dwell in reality, let go of illusions, and move from surface-level rituals back to the deeper fruit of discovery? This is a provocative invitation to question our habits, confront our attachments, and embrace a more fluid, AI-enabled way of designing and building.

AI is transforming everything — from how we communicate to how we manage tasks in both our personal and professional lives. It holds incredible potential to support independence and improve access. However, AI can also unintentionally reinforce ableism. When trained on biased data, AI systems risk producing unfair outcomes. Tools that assume 'typical' behaviours or ways of interacting often create experiences that can exclude. As AI adoption accelerates at an unprecedented pace, thoughtful and responsible innovation has never been more critical. This session dives into how we can embed ethics and equity at the core of AI-driven product design. We’ll explore common pitfalls seen in today’s AI applications and share practical, actionable strategies to build more inclusive and fair products.

While opportunities expand as every company becomes an AI company, so do the risks. While more and more builders and users are becoming aware that AI should be built responsibly, there is still confusion about what, exactly, that means. Join Aubrey Blanche, a global leader in organizational ethics and responsible AI, for a tactical session on how to operationlize your team's commitment to using AI in a way that drives positive impact and mitigates the risk of harm. You'll leave the session with actionable tools you can implement today, to make a better world tomorrow.

Digital products rarely fall apart all at once. More often, they slowly drift away from what users need, becoming cluttered, unresponsive and driven by the wrong metrics. Tim Hardaker names this slow decay for what it is and shows how to stop it in its tracks. With examples from his work leading ABC’s digital platforms, Tim shares how to reconnect product strategy with real audience needs. Expect sharp insights, practical methods, and a compelling case for always-on listening.

Everything we know about business productivity is wrong. Don't believe me? Then you must be living in the post-apocalyptic wasteland created when COVID locked us all into our homes - away from our offices and jobs - for two years. Oh, wait - that didn't happen? Everything went on pretty much as before, even though everything had suddenly changed? And you still reckon we know anything about business? We've burned away all the dross of the 19th and 20th century's provably wrong misconceptions of productivity. So what really matters - and how do we lean into that?

Every product competes on features, but the ones that break out compete on identity. People don’t just ask <em>what can this do for me?</em> - they ask <em>what does this say about me?</em> From iPhones to CrossFit memberships, we buy tools that double as badges, status signals, and shortcuts to belonging. This talk explores the difference between feature-driven products that fade into the noise and identity-driven products that command loyalty, culture, and evangelism.

In this thought-provoking session, Kevin Wilkins and Thomas Shillingford examine the evolution of design systems over the past decade and explore a critical question: Will AI and emerging methodologies like sentient design lead to the collapse of traditional design systems as we know them? Drawing from their combined experience as a design systems leads across multiple enterprises, they offer unique insights into how the relationship between design systems and AI is reshaping our approach to design thinking. What You'll Gain <ul> <li>Assessment tools for your design system's AI resilience</li> <li>Practical strategies for integrating AI while preserving core design principles</li> <li>Preparation tactics for human-AI collaborative workflows</li> <li>A decision framework for balancing traditional design systems with AI capabilities</li> <li>Actionable steps to evolve your design approach regardless of organisation size</li> </ul>

At Eucalyptus, traditional role boundaries are deliberately dissolving. With the support of AI and modern tooling, designers, product managers, and engineers are expanding beyond their conventional domains. Product managers are prototyping interfaces, developers are contributing to design decisions, and designers are shaping strategy and delivery. Rather than creating tension, these overlaps are fostering innovation. In this session, Oliver Ree explores how Eucalyptus is building a culture of "short toes"—where team members aren't overly protective of their domains, and cross-disciplinary collaboration flourishes. He'll demonstrate how AI serves as an enabler rather than a replacement, unlocking new ways of working that accelerate delivery and expand what teams can achieve collectively. The underlying goal isn't efficiency for its own sake, but raising the bar on what teams can imagine and deliver. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li>AI as catalyst – How artificial intelligence removes traditional barriers between roles and accelerates team velocity</li> <li>Cultural transformation – Building shared ownership models and cultivating flexibility across disciplines</li> <li>Hybrid roles emerge – Understanding new positions like "design engineer" and their implications for team structure</li> <li>Design as connector – How design functions as the organizational glue that bridges work across blurred role boundaries</li> </ul>

What happens when a product manager with zero software engineering experience decides to build a complete application? William Kirkwood did exactly that, using AI-powered tools like Cursor to create Luck—a fully production-ready application—within a single year. William will share his journey from product concept to deployed software, revealing which AI development tools actually deliver, how his product management background proved surprisingly valuable, and the practical techniques he used to navigate technical decisions without traditional engineering expertise. You'll learn: <ul> <li>Which AI tools live up to the hype (and which don't)</li> <li>How to leverage product thinking in hands-on development</li> <li>Real strategies for building and shipping production software</li> <li>What's realistically possible for non-technical builders today</li> </ul> Whether you're a product manager seeking more autonomy, a designer wanting to prototype beyond mockups, or simply curious if AI can really democratize software development, this talk shows what's possible and gives you a practical roadmap. Perfect for product managers, designers, and other non-engineers looking to expand their capabilities with AI-assisted development.

At Relevance AI, designers have been shipping PRs using Cursor workflows as part of an engineering-led experiment. Together, Freya and Nathan will share how your team can also build a culture that empowers non-engineers to contribute meaningfully to codebases, and practical ways teams can lower the barrier to shipping.

What if your next customer isn’t human? In a world increasingly run by AI, machines are rapidly becoming independent economic actors, making buying decisions without human intervention. In her provocative talk, "Machines Are Customers Too," Katja Forbes challenges businesses to radically rethink their approach to customer experience. She unveils how traditional customer journeys, trust-building, and engagement strategies must evolve to accommodate AI-driven agents and autonomous systems as genuine customers. Leveraging her award-winning expertise in CX innovation, Katja delivers a compelling vision of the near future: one where the customer is code, and loyalty is algorithmic. This bold session isn’t just speculative. Katja provides actionable frameworks and a clear roadmap, empowering leaders to adapt, innovate, and harness this shift as a powerful engine for growth. Prepare to rethink everything you know about your customers. The future is here…machines are buying.