This year’s British Science Festival takes place in partnership with the University of Southampton, which is home to one of the world’s top research centres for artificial intelligence (AI) study and development.
From 16–20 September, AI and future technology researchers from the University of Southampton and other UK institutions will be joined by artists, performers, musicians, and journalists to present new research, discuss ethics, and perform creative work in response to one of the most controversial subjects of our age.
At the University of Southampton, many researchers are driving forward the technologies that underpin AI to benefit the economy and society. Others are critically analysing the social impact of those technologies as they change the world in which we live and work, and proposing policies that will ensure AI benefits human lives.
Join us at the Festival to hear from the experts, and to share your views and thoughts on AI’s future.
With more than 80 free events, from comedy shows and art installations to dynamic performances, hands-on workshops, insightful talks and interactive experiences, there’s something for everyone at the British Science Festival this September.
Events on the Festival programme about AI and future technologies include:
Holy Motherboard
(Talk)
Date: 16 September 2026
Time: 11.30–12.30
Venue: Centenary Building (100), Harvard Lecture Theatre
A robot, a researcher and a reverend walk into a church… no, it’s not the start of a joke, it’s the newest research from Andrew Blair (University of Glasgow). He’s interested in how robots behave in real-world environments and what emerges when new technology meets time-honoured tradition. Follow Andrew on his journey to introduce a robot to a centuries-old cathedral.
AI: Doom or bloom?
(Talk)
Date: 17 September 2026
Time: 12:30-13:30
Venue: Centenary Building (100), Lecture Theatre A
Excited by ChatGPT? Or scared by Siri? These human-seeming AI tools have recently divided the public and stirred a range of emotions from people all around the world. But as much as chatbots might sound like humans, do they think like us? Antonia Marcu (University of Southampton) will reveal a more grounded understanding of how AI models ‘think’. Explore what AI is good at, what it lacks, and how we can predict its behaviour in the future.
Visiting future worlds and AI
(Exhibition)
Date: 18 September 2026
Time: 17:30-20:30
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – The Student Hub
Join Rory Miles from Future Worlds (University of Southampton) and Matt Smith (University of Portsmouth) on 16 September at the Centenary Building for a workshop exploring ideas about AI and the future – build your own unique models of what it might look like. On the 18 September those ideas will be on show at an exhibition showcasing models created by people across the region, exploring imagined visions of the future. Explore AI and what it could ultimately mean for science, technology and culture.
Adolescence, chatbots and AI intimacies
(Talk)
Date: 18 September 2026
Time: 18:00-19:00
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – Lecture Theatre 2
Jessica Ringrose from University College London and her team of researchers and youth advisors explore their latest findings on how young people navigate AI in their daily lives. From entertainment and conversation, to therapy and relationships, chatbots and AI are used by people all over the world. But how do we rethink these everyday intimacies? And how do we work with young people to educate, protect and inform their chatbot use in an increasingly AI-driven world?
Show Runner: Prime time with AI
(Workshop)
Date: 18 September 2026
Time: 18:00-19:30
Venue: The Artisan
What happens when AI starts calling the shots behind the scenes of your favourite TV shows? University of Loughborough presents Show Runner, a fast-paced collaborative game where teams run rival media studios in a world shaped by AI. Make bold choices, lobby for or against AI rules and try to keep your audience watching. Negotiate with your teammates, adapt to world events and shape the TV industry together in real time. Come and play your way through the ethical dilemmas shaping our digital future.
City dreams
(Drop-in activity)
Dates and Times: 18 September (17:00-20:00) and 19 September (11:00-17:00)
Venue: John Hansard Gallery
Local artist Damian Bemben has created an installation that harnesses generative artificial intelligence to build collective worlds across cultures. Combining voice recognition, 3D capture and AI techniques, this installation offers you the opportunity to speak your wish for Southampton City Centre and watch it appear.
Invisible illness through AI eyes
(Drop-in)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 11:00-17:00
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – The Student Hub
AI has the potential to transform our understanding of hidden diseases. Recently, scientists have begun using AI and advanced 3D imaging techniques to detect skeletal disease and illnesses such as cancer. Researchers from the School of Biological Sciences (University of Southampton), artists and local community members will explore how this technology is transforming our understanding of hidden diseases. Play games and get hands-on to reveal the invisible workings of our bodies.
Future AI: Reflect and debate
(Talk)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 15:00-16:00
Venue: Sir James Matthews Building – Lecture Theatre 2
As AI makes itself more at home in our day to day lives, it’s time to ask the question; who is AI for? Join the conversation with new British Science Association President and Regius Professor of Computer Science Dame Wendy Hall (Web Science Institute, University of Southampton) and Zoe Kleinman (BBC Technology Editor). Explore the exciting opportunities and potential risks of AI and reflect on how it is reshaping society, sustainability, and everyday life.
Generate: Creative responses to AI research
(Performance)
Date: 19 September 2026
Time: 19:30-20:30
Venue: Mayflower Studios
Mayflower presents an evening of work-in-progress performances exploring the real-life, human impacts of AI. Created in conversation with University of Southampton researchers working with AI across health, archaeology and music. Generate offers an exciting moment of collaboration between the scientific and the creative. Join us to encounter AI research in immediate, imaginative and thought-provoking ways.
Click the ‘Transformative Technologies; category in our event guide to find more talks, workshops, performances and drop-ins on this theme: https://britishsciencefestival.org/events/