BEYOND THE ALGORITHM: Understanding AIs Power to Shape Our Culture & Future

AI systems now write code, generate images, produce news content, and increasingly make decisions that affect everyday life—from what we see online to how businesses operate and resources are allocated. What once felt experimental is now embedded in the tools, platforms, and institutions many of us rely on, often in ways that are invisible but deeply influential.

This rapid integration has been matched by an intense media narrative: AI as breakthrough, AI as threat, AI as inevitable force reshaping work, creativity, and society itself. Headlines promise transformation or warn of disruption, yet the reality is more complex than either story suggests. Understanding where the technology truly is—and what its impacts actually look like—requires stepping beyond the hype.

Bringing together academic insight and technical expertise, Ron Chrisley (University of Sussex), Mark Kennedy (Imperial College London), and Oli Sharpe (GoMeta) will examine how AI is shaping our economy, our culture, and our future. In this timely and crucial discussion, they will explore what’s changing now, what remains uncertain, and which questions matter most as AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life.

Ron Chrisley is Professor of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence at the School of Engineering and Informatics, Sussex University. His areas of research include: metacognition in neural networks, social and ethical issues of AI, social robotics, machine consciousness, quantum machine learning and applied logic.

Mark Kennedy is Director of the Data Science Institute at Imperial College London, teaching across Ph.D., Masters, and Executive programmes. His research examines how AI and other technologies diffuse through organisations and society, shaping work, innovation, and social practices, and he develops methods like text and network analysis to study these processes.

Oli Sharpe is the creator and host of Go Meta, a YouTube channel and online platform that explores how technology shapes society, culture, and economic life. Through thoughtful analysis and discussion of topics including AI’s effects on public discourse, digital communities, and economic systems, he aims to foster clearer thinking about the complex forces driving change in the modern world.

Thinking of coming with friends? Why not add to your special night out and enjoy the show in the comfort of a private booth (seats 5). See the 'BOOK A BOOTH' option in the ticket section.

This event takes place upstairs in the Nightingale Room, The Grand Central Pub, Brighton. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access at this venue.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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