Workshops
The program will include workshops designed to support both the scientific and societal dimensions of AI sentience research.
📚Workshop 1 — Foundations of AI Sentience Research
9 July 2026, 14:00 UTC
9 July 2026, 14:00 UTC
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 minutes
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 minutes This workshop introduces foundational concepts and research frameworks related to consciousness, sentience, and related phenomena in AI systems.
Participants will engage with key concepts in philosophy and cognitive science, examine why AI sentience may be a particularly important topic to study now and explore how evaluation frameworks are applied — and challenged — in the context of digital minds.
The session bridges conceptual analysis and empirical research, providing a structured foundation for engaging with questions of AI sentience across scientific, ethical, and policy contexts.
⚖️Workshop 2 — Neuroethics for AI Sentience
16 July 2026, 14:00 UTC
16 July 2026, 14:00 UTC Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 minutes
Online (Zoom) | ⏱ 90-120 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
6 October 2026, 14:30 UTC
6 October 2026, 14:30 UTC 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 — Envisioning an ethical future for AI Sentience
2–5 December 2026
2–5 December 2026 
In-Person — CIFAR Winter School, Nairobi, Kenya | ⏱ ~120 minutes
In-Person — CIFAR Winter School, Nairobi, Kenya | ⏱ ~120 minutes This 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.