Schmidt Sciences
389 Jane Stanford Way, 4th Floor
Stanford, CA 94305
Overview
Join this full-day conference exploring "agentic AI" and its implications in an increasingly technological world.
A dream come true for some, the stuff of nightmares for others, the increasingly inescapable notion of "agentic AI" and "AI agents" raises urgent questions. In what sense are AI agents agents and why does it matter? Are they a threat to humanity? What does it mean to be human in a world increasingly shared with non-human, artificial agents? If we are to stay ahead of major challenges facing humanity, we must take seriously the pressing concerns about safety, control, and deepen our understanding of what it means to be human in the age of AI. Through a series of keynotes, panels, and fireside chats, this full-day event will bring together thought leaders from philosophy, computer science, and the tech world to explore dimensions of agency—human and non-human—along with the social and moral implications of agentic AI.
Schedule
Monday, June 1, 2026
| start | end | session | speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:45 AM | 10:15 AM | Registration & Coffee | |
| 10:15 AM | 10:30 AM | Opening Remarks | Linda Eggert, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Stanford Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science, UC Berkeley |
| 10:30 AM | 11:30 AM | Philosophical Perspectives on Human Agency and Agentic AI | Michael E. Bratman, U. G. and Abbie Birch Durfee Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, and Professor of Philosophy, Stanford |
| 11:30 AM | 12:00 PM | Lunch & Networking | |
| 12:00 PM | 1:15 PM | Practical Agency in Classical AI and the LLM Era | Yejin Choi, Dieter Schwarz Foundation HAI Professor of Computer Science, Stanford Human-Centered AI (HAI) Subbarao Kambhampati, Professor of Computer Science, Arizona State University Rosa Cao, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Stanford |
| 1:15 PM | 2:15 PM | Ethics and Policy Priorities | Rob Reich, McGregor-Girand Professor of Social Ethics of Science and Technology and Professor of Political Science, Stanford; Director of Ethics, Society, and Technology Initiatives, McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society James Manyika, President, Research, Labs, Technology & Society, Google and Alphabet |
| 2:15 PM | 2:30 PM | Break | |
| 2:30 PM | 3:30 PM | Societal Implications | Jasmine Sun, Co-Founder of Reboot and Kernel Magazine; Contributor to The Atlantic |
| 3:30 PM | 4:00 PM | Closing Roundtable | All speakers with closing remarks by Linda Eggert and Stuart Russell |
| 4:00 PM | 5:00 PM | Reception |
This event is sponsored by the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society and the AI2050 Program at Schmidt Sciences.
This event will have a photographer present to document the event. No personal recordings (audio or visual) are allowed. By attending, you consent for your image to be used for Stanford-related promotions and materials. If you have any questions, please contact ethics-center [at] stanford.edu (ethics-center[at]stanford[dot]edu).
If you require disability-related accommodation, please contact disability.access [at] stanford.edu (disability[dot]access[at]stanford[dot]edu) as soon as possible or at least 7 business days in advance of the event.
See more information about visitor parking.
Learn more about the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society.