Digital Minds Strategy Workshop

Bringing together researchers, policy experts, strategists, and fellows for a two-day workshop on neglected governance questions about how society should prepare for the possibility of digital minds.

8–9 August 2026 2 Days
Cambridge University United Kingdom
Cambridge bridge

The goal is to make progress together on practically and strategically important questions, and lay the groundwork for policy and governance of digital minds. Where possible, sessions aim for tangible outputs such as reports and policy recommendations.

Sessions will cover:

  • Mapping the societal intervention landscape
  • Systematic comparison of policy and institutional approaches
  • Scenario planning for plausible future trajectories
  • Macrostrategy development
  • Research priorities for strategy and governance

Unlike typical academic conferences, the format emphasises interactive workshop sessions, structured discussions, and collaborative exercises designed to generate practical insights and recommendations.

What makes this workshop different

Practically Useful

Every session aims at insights that can inform real-world decisions: policy recommendations, research priorities, or strategic frameworks for this emerging field.

Structured

Predefined questions guide collaborative discussions, enabling rigorous analysis and comparison of different perspectives and approaches.

Strategic & Policy Focus

Emphasis on societal implications and concrete recommendations. The goal is actionable insights, not just academic discussion.

Mixed Participation

Fellows integrated with experts throughout. Some sessions may be expert-only, but the default is collaborative work across career stages.

Cambridge Cambridge grounds

Participants

We have a very limited number of spaces available for this workshop and intend to bring together a small cross-disciplinary group drawn from digital minds, AI policy and governance, and macrostrategy.

Expert attendees include: Jeff Sebo (NYU Center for Mind, Ethics, and Policy), Winnie Street (Google), Derek Shiller (AI Cognition Initiative / Rethink Priorities), and others.

Digital Minds Researchers

Experts working directly on AI consciousness, AI welfare, and related philosophical and technical questions.

Policy & Governance

Representatives from AI policy and governance organisations bringing real-world implementation perspectives.

Strategic Thinkers

Macrostrategy researchers and legal experts who can situate digital minds within broader considerations.

Fellows & Mentors

Fellows arrive having engaged with scenario planning and intervention thinking during their programme. Mentors provide continuity and guidance.

Attend the Workshop

Fellowship alumni automatically attend. Interested experts should express interest via email.

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