Artificial intelligence or human intelligence? Earth or Mars? Silicon Valley or Hutt Valley? With this rapid rise of big tech the future is arriving faster than ever. Will technology solve our biggest problems or destroy us?

Two teams take to the stage to thrash it out in Don’t Worry, Tech will Save Us! A fast-paced, big-thinking debate where wild hypotheticals and genuine insight collide. Expect sharp arguments, questionable statistics and plenty of laughs.

Adjudicated by comedian Jerome Chandrahasen and featuring Chlöe Swarbrick, Toby Manhire, James Nokise, pip adam, Samantha Hannah and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa).

This event has sold out. Please join the waitlist and you will be contacted if a ticket becomes available.

This event is part of the 2026 Verb Readers & Writers Festival. Please see verbwellington.nz for more information.

Many thanks to our generous funders, sponsors and members of Verb Community in supporting Verb Readers & Writers Festival 2026.

Contact the host of Don’t Worry, Tech will Save Us – A Verb Debate