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 minutesThis 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.
Facilitators
Dr. Karen Rommelfanger
Bio: Dr. Rommelfanger received her PhD in neuroscience from Emory University. She is a professor of neurology, where she founded and led the neuroethics program at Emory. She is a trusted advisor to global policy entities also working closely with the private sector and academic scientists including as a key author of the US BRAIN Initiative’s Neuroethics Roadmap. She is director and founder of the Institute of Neuroethics (IoNx).
Dr. Darrell Porcello
Bio: Dr. Porcello is Chief Engagement Consultant at IoNx Think & Do Tank, where he leads public engagement efforts within international collaborations on brain technologies. His work focuses on designing participatory formats that help people connect emerging technologies to their own lives and explore shared, responsible futures. He has partnered with researchers, science communicators, and policymakers across Japan, Mexico, and Europe to co-create cross-culturally informed workshops and dialogue tools. He is also Director of Learning Networks at the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco and plays a leader in the U.S. National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network. With a PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University and over 20 years of experience in museums, he develops interactive STEM learning experiences that reach broad audiences through national networks.