Everything, it seems, is on the line right now. Is mRNA technology on the verge of pulling us out of the pandemic, or will a wily, evolving virus bring us several more years of testing, booster shots, uncertainty, and angst? Will AI liberate us with amazing new medicines, materials, and modes of entertainment, or subtly enslave us in an algorithmically guided world where none of our choices is truly our own? Will we stop the deadly climb of global temperatures or just hunker down behind higher flood defenses and more powerful air-conditioners? Will ransomware be tamed, or will it bring down governments?
While the last decade saw dramatic technological acceleration, the past 18 months have kicked off a tectonic shift in how we live, work, and connect. The world is being rewired, and RE:WIRED is where we’ll discuss the big bets society will have to make if things are to turn out for the better rather than for the worse.
So join us on November 9 and 10 for a series of lively conversations between technologists, artists, policymakers, and others who think about the consequences of technology for society, economics, sustainability, and, ultimately, our future.
What Is It?
RE:WIRED is a two-day virtual global event that brings together some of the top names in technology, business, and culture to discuss the world’s biggest challenges and how we solve them.
Who Is RE:WIRED for?
For more than 25 years, WIRED has been a roadmap to the future. Today, we’re also a user manual for the increasingly futuristic present. Whether you’re obsessed with the booming space industry, terrified about climate change, excited by the promise of genetic medicine, riled up about ransomware, or wondering where AI is headed, RE:WIRED will have something for you.
Who Will Be Speaking?
- Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel in conversation with Nahid Bhadelia, founding director of BU Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, about the promise and future of mRNA vaccines for everything from flu to cancer
- Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, on the scourge of ransomware
- Timnit Gebru, independent scholar and former co-lead of the Ethical AI research team at Google Brain, on developing new forms of independent scrutiny to ensure AI development benefits everyone in society, not just the few
- Kai-Fu Lee, chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures and president of Sinovation Ventures Artificial Intelligence Institute, in conversation with Kate Crawford, senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research New York, on what the future of AI should look like
- Science fiction author Neal Stephenson on building virtual worlds—and fixing the real one
More great speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, so sign up below for updates.
What Does My Registration Include?
Registration costs you nothing, and it includes livestreams of all the RE:WIRED sessions on November 9 and 10, 2021. You’ll be the first to get updates about the events, and you will have early access to sign up for in-person gatherings, assuming it’s safe to hold them. You’ll also be able to submit questions to the speakers during the live shows.
Where Do I Sign Up?
It’s all at WIRED.com/rewired. Register now, and you’ll get an email with an access link for the livestream 24 to 48 hours before each of the event dates. Please email wiredevents@condenast.com with other questions.
The future is in our hands, and RE:WIRED is where we talk about how to shape it.