Workshops
The program will include workshops designed to support both the scientific and societal dimensions of AI sentience research.
📚Workshop 1 — Foundations and Research Frameworks for AI Sentence
3 July 2026
3 July 2026
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 minutes
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 minutes This workshop introduces the conceptual and scientific foundations for studying AI sentience. Participants will explore key concepts such as consciousness, sentience, and moral standing, alongside current theories and methods used to assess these phenomena in artificial systems.
The session combines conceptual clarity with research-oriented perspectives, equipping participants to critically engage with scientific and philosophical claims about AI and digital minds.
⚖️Workshop 2 — The Possibility of Digital Sentience: Ethical and Conceptual Challenges in NeuroAI
15, 16 or 17 July 2026 (tbc)
15, 16 or 17 July 2026 (tbc) Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 120 minutes
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 120 minutes This workshop introduces neuroethics through the lens of digital sentience, an emerging and controversial concept in AI and neurotechnology. Participants will explore how different interpretations of sentience shape ethical analysis, scientific practice, and real-world applications.
Through a combination of short lecture and interactive case discussions, the session provides tools to critically evaluate claims about AI and the brain across research, media, and policy contexts.
Format: Pre-reading + lecture + interactive discussion
💬Workshop 3 — Interpreting Evidence & Responsible Communication
September/October 2026
September/October 2026 Online (Zoom) | ⏱ ~120 minutes
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ ~120 minutes 
Open to AISS scholars and the wider research community
Open to AISS scholars and the wider research communityThis workshop explores how to interpret evidence and communicate scientific findings responsibly in a scientifically uncertain and fast-moving field.
Through expert talks, an interactive exercise, and a moderated panel discussion, participants will learn to assess the strength of evidence, distinguish between findings and speculation, and communicate uncertainty clearly across research, media, and policy contexts.
⚖️Workshop 4 — IoNx engagement Workshop
2–5 December 2026
2–5 December 2026 
In-Person — CIFAR Winter School, Nairobi, Kenya
In-Person — CIFAR Winter School, Nairobi, KenyaThis engagement workshop will use provocative future scenarios centered on digital sentience to challenge current assumptions and spark deeper dialogue. These carefully curated snapshots of the future will serve as a catalyst for critical thinking, producing a unique opportunity for reflection on societal and ethical impacts. Participants will gain the capacity to navigate the tensions between innovation and responsibility.