A public lecture series, bringing together scientists, educators, industry thinkers, students, artists, and the wider public to explore how human intelligence has evolved, how creative minds have historically shaped social and economic progress, and what artificial intelligence may mean for the next phase of collective thought- not only for us today, but for future generations moving through the education system.
Students receive 50% discount with the code STU26! Please be ready to show proof of student ID upon arrival.
“A new kind of revolution is unfolding– a cognitive evolution that is already reshaping culture, industry and the way we think. Cambridge is uniquely placed to lead that conversation. These lectures bring artists, researchers, and innovators together to explore how human creativity remains the force that drives progress in an intelligent world.” -Sally Clark, Director of MODO & ACE C.I.C
The programme brings together leading voices from research, education, culture, and applied inquiry. Speakers include:
- Simon Baron-Cohen – Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University of Cambridge
- Dr Alexandros Tsompanidis – Researcher, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge
- Andrew Osmant – CFO, Cambridge Mechatronics
- Eryk Salvaggio – Writer and researcher on AI and cultural ethics
- Dr. Petri (CETI) – Researcher on whale intelligence and communication
Talks will be exploratory, discovering how creativity, neuroplasticity, and cross-disciplinary thinking shape the future of education, innovation, industry and the economy in the age of AI.
This lecture series is presented as part of the Cambridge Arts Festival. Students receive 50% discount with the code STU26- please be ready to show proof of ID upon arrival.
The series is rooted in the ideas that underpin Hockney’s sustained inquiry into perception, perspective, and the cultural power of images. Across his work and writing, Hockney has consistently challenged the assumption that there is a single, neutral way of seeing, arguing instead that technologies of vision, from painting and photography to film, television, and how digital systems actively shape how reality is understood, shared, and governed. The Cambridge Lectures on Art & Intelligence extends this inquiry into a wider public conversation at a time when the continued public presence of his work will form a major exhibition at the Serpentine North.
The Cambridge Lectures on Art & Intelligence is conceived as a multi-year public inquiry, with the series planned to continue over the next three to five years. Future programmes are expected to bring together a broad range of contributors spanning education leadership, research, cultural practice, and applied fields, building a sustained conversation rather than a one-off event. The lectures are not framed as a debate about technology. Instead, they offer an inquiry into how human intelligence has evolved through changing image systems, and how it might continue to do so under conditions of rapid technological change. This event is delivered in support of Arts Festival Cambridge 2026. The festival highlights the city’s arts landscape, inviting residents and visitors to spend time with new work and ideas, while creating meaningful ways for local businesses to take part in Cambridge’s cultural life.
Ticket sales from the series support ACE CIC, a not-for-profit organisation working to address the systemic marginalisation of the arts within education, and to strengthen the conditions in which inventive and expansive thinking can develop.
