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Live On Stage
Wednesday July 15 2026, 7pm BST

What Should Humanity Want From AI? People, Technology, and the Future of Intelligence

The event marks the launch of The Humanist Review of AI, a new journal commissioned by Microsoft AI exploring the many ways AI is changing society.

For 300,000 years, human beings have applied knowledge and science to make their lives steadily better. In other words, they’ve been the creators and masters of technology. But is technology – in the form of artificial intelligence – about to reshape the world in ways that could render many people powerless or even redundant?

We must not let that happen, believes Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI. Suleyman, one of the world’s leading AI experts and business leaders, has long argued that the central promise of AI is to advance human civilisation – and that when built with intention and humility, AI is not set against what makes us human but can deepen it.  

On July 15, Suleyman joins us live at the Royal Geographical Society, where he will share the stage with philosopher Alain de Botton and award-winning author Naomi Alderman to discuss how AI can enrich human flourishing and connection rather than replace them. 

Join us live, hear the arguments, and ask your questions in the audience Q&A, with a copy of the first issue included with every ticket.

Event Name

What Should Humanity Want From AI? People, Technology, and the Future of Intelligence



SPEAKERS
  • Mustafa Suleyman

    CEO of Microsoft AI

  • Alain de Botton

    Author and Co-founder of The School of Life

  • Naomi Alderman

    Award-winning novelist, broadcaster and TV producer


Location
  • Royal Geographical Society
  • 1 Kensington Gore
  • Kensington
  • London
  • SW7 2AR
Time
  • Wednesday 15 July 2026
  • 7pm to 8:30pm BST





Speakers

SPEAKERS

Mustafa Suleyman

CEO of Microsoft AI


Mustafa Suleyman is the CEO of Microsoft AI. His mission is to build state of the art AI models, and create humanist superintelligence for everyone. Before leading Microsoft AI he was CEO and cofounder of Inflection AI, and before that, he cofounded DeepMind where he led applied research and commercialization efforts. He is the author of bestselling book The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma. He is on the board of The Economist and a Senior Fellow at The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Alain de Botton

Author and Co-founder of The School of Life


Alain de Botton is a writer of essayistic books that have been described as a ‘philosophy of everyday life.’ He’s written about love, travel, architecture and literature. His books have been bestsellers in 30 countries. Alain also started and helps to run a school in London called The School of Life, dedicated to a new vision of education. Alain’s latest book, published in September 2019, is a collection of essays written for The School of Life, titled The School of Life: An Emotional Education. Alain started writing at a young age. His first book, Essays in Love, was published when he was twenty-three.

Naomi Alderman

Award-winning novelist, broadcaster and TV producer


Naomi Alderman is an award-winning novelist, broadcaster, TV producer and videogames creator. She is the author of the bestselling, multi-award-winning The Power, which became a TV series for Amazon Prime. Her latest novel The Strangers will be published in September 2026.

Speakers are subject to change.