Lovelace–Hodgkin Symposium 2026: Making the Invisible, Visible
AI, Stories, Power & Participation
Artificial intelligence is shaping our lives in ways that are often difficult to see. From data that are missing from AI systems to the stories they tell, the power they hold, and the environmental, cultural and social impacts they create, much of AI remains hidden.
The Lovelace-Hodgkin Symposium 2026 invites everyone - not just academics or technology experts – to explore the invisible impacts of AI. Through a creative and interactive programme of talks, workshops, games and artworks, we will examine how AI systems work, who benefits from them, whose voices are heard or excluded, and how people can participate more meaningfully in emerging technologies.
Across the day, participants will explore topics including the inner workings of large language models, unintended consequences of AI, missing and invisible data, surveillance, mapping and power, environmental and cultural impacts of digital technologies, and the role of storytelling in shaping how we understand both history and technology. Together, we will consider how AI influences the stories we tell about ourselves, our communities and our futures.
Hosted at the Glasgow University Union (GUU) on 13 October 2026, Ada Lovelace Day, this one-day event is designed for anyone with an interest in technology, society, creativity, ethics or social justice. The symposium will conclude with a screening of the LifeMosaic documentary Mapping & Monitoring in Indigenous Territories, followed by a discussion with the film's producer, connecting the day's themes of participation, knowledge, power and representation.
Our vision
Our Evolving Vision
Our vision remains rooted in the belief that AI must be shaped by fairness, inclusion and the public good. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, we believe it is vital to ask what it makes visible, what it hides, whose knowledge it reflects, and who gets to participate in shaping its future.
Building on previous Lovelace-Hodgkin conversations about ethical and inclusive AI, the 2026 symposium turns towards Making the Invisible, Visible: AI, Stories, Power & Participation.
This year, we will explore the hidden systems, assumptions, infrastructures and exclusions that sit beneath AI technologies. Through talks, interactive sessions, games, creative activities, artworks and film, participants will consider how AI works, how data can be missing or misrepresented, how technologies shape stories and perceptions, and how power influences whose voices and experiences are heard.
Date: 13 October 2026, Glasgow University Union
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