Who really controls AI – and where is it taking us?

OpenAI began as a mission-driven nonprofit, promising to build artificial intelligence for the good of humanity. But as billions poured in from Microsoft and competition intensified, its lofty ideals collided with corporate ambition. Now, as AI reshapes industries, economies, and societies at an unprecedented pace, the stakes have never been higher.

Investigative journalist Karen Hao comes to The Conduit to delve into the untold story of OpenAI, Sam Altman’s rise and fall (and rise again), and the global power struggle driving the AI revolution. Through exclusive insights from engineers, data workers, and policymakers, Hao will unravel the forces behind this new technological empire—and what it means for the future of work, privacy, and democracy.

Event Schedule

6:00pm: Pre-event socialising and networking

A cash bar will be available for refreshments.

6:15pm: Event begins

7:30pm: Event ends

Speakers:

Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. She leads the Pulitzer Center’s AI Spotlight Series, a program training journalists around the world on how to cover AI, and sits on the AI advisory board of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. She was formerly a foreign correspondent covering China’s technology industry for the Wall Street Journal and a senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review. Her work is regularly taught in universities and cited by governments. She has received numerous accolades for her coverage, including an American National Magazine Award for Journalists Under 30. She received her B.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT.