Chicago AI Week Summit 2026
I was pleased to be asked to speak on two panels at the 2026 Chicago AI Week (June 25–26, 2026). This year marks the fourth edition of this premier gathering of global AI leaders from industry, government, and academia. Building on the success of the past three years, which welcomed 1000+ attendees for a week-long program featuring over 100 sessions and 300 speakers, this year’s event will further elevate dialogue on scaling responsible AI adoption across industries.
The 2026 edition is powered by AI 2030 in collaboration with 1871 and partners, and is supported by a distinguished Chicago AI Council featuring leaders from both the public and private sectors across a wide range of industries.
Responsible AI Day brings together global leaders to showcase AI in action—focused on deployed solutions in security, safety, and governance. The emphasis is on execution at scale: how organizations are managing risk, ensuring trust, and operationalizing AI in real-world environments.
Select Responsible AI startups will pitch directly to investors and enterprise leaders, accelerating solutions from innovation to global deployment.
Industry Day spotlights AI delivering measurable impact across financial services, healthcare, public sector, and logistics. Leaders will share how AI is being implemented today—driving efficiency, resilience, and growth—and how these solutions are scaling across systems, institutions, and markets.
DAY ONE — WOMEN IN AI FORUM
Women Driving Responsible AI Across Industries
Moderator: Marie Roker-Jones — Women in AI and NYC Partnerships Lead, AI 2030
Hyunzoo Chai — SVP, Head of Enterprise Automation, Oaktree Capital Management
Anne Lee — CTO, AI Research Lab, Bell Labs Solutions Research, Nokia Bell Labs
Swetha Sekhar — Member of Technical Staff, OpenAI
Mari Velonaki — Professor; Director, National Facility for HRI Research, UNSW
DAY THREE — AI INDUSTRY DAY
Closing Panel: Building the Future of Physical AI — Responsible Innovation for Machines That Act
Moderator: Xiaochen Zhang — Executive Director, AI 2030
Nancy Amato — Abel Bliss Professor & Director, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Chris “Xiangzhe” Chen — Co-CEO of FF AI-Robotics; Head of Global User Ecosystem, Faraday Future
Mari Velonaki — Professor; Director, National Facility for HRI Research, UNSW
