The School of Computer Science and Engineering hosted Future AI 2026 on the 4th and 5th of March 2026. The organisers thank NVIDIA for their collaboration, including expert sessions, technical presentations, and support for the conference. The programme was also supported by the UKRI-funded Get Into AI project, which helped make the event possible.
Over 200 people registered, with around 150 attendees participating each day, reflecting the variety of parallel sessions and topics covered.
Day 1 opened with an introduction from Jonathan C. Roberts, alongside Andy Grant (NVIDIA) and Peter Thomas (Centre for Digital Public Services, Welsh Government). The plenary included a keynote from Pontus Stenetorp (UCL) on the UK Large Language Model (LLM) and sovereign AI initiatives, providing insights into national AI collaboration, research opportunities, and the potential impact of large language models across sectors. Additional plenary presentations explored language technologies and AI research frameworks. Afternoon parallel sessions allowed attendees to engage with experts in Health and Life Sciences, LLM frameworks and Agetic AI, Earth, Physics and Engineering, and NVIDIA technologies.
Day 2, opened by the Vice Chancellor of Bangor University, Professor Edmund Burke, focused on applied AI, innovation, and societal impact. Parallel sessions explored AI in business, finance, imaging, law, education, and entrepreneurship. A highlight was a lively panel discussion on AI in teaching, where panellists discussed both the opportunities and challenges of using AI for learning, inclusivity, and explaining complex concepts. Technical workshops on GPUs and LLM frameworks ran alongside the main conference, providing attendees with hands-on experience. The event concluded with a capstone session examining future AI frontiers and growth opportunities.
Professor Jonathan C. Roberts, principal organiser of the conference, said:
It was a real pleasure to bring together such a diverse group of researchers, students, and industry colleagues. The conference provided a fantastic opportunity to network, discuss AI in depth, and explore new ideas. I hope this event marks the start of further research collaborations and more activities in AI across the university and beyond.
Professor William Heath, head of school, added:
Future AI 2026 showcased the depth and breadth of research happening at Bangor University and in the UK, and emphasised the importance of collaboration across disciplines. It was particularly encouraging to see our students engaging so enthusiastically with the sessions and speakers.
The conference highlighted both the technical foundations of AI and its wider societal impact, providing a platform for learning, discussion, and collaboration across disciplines.