Making the Invisible, Visible: AI, Stories, Power & Participation

Artificial intelligence is shaping our lives in ways that are often difficult to see. The Lovelace-Hodgkin Symposium 2026 invites everyone, not just academics or technology experts, to explore the hidden systems, assumptions, impacts and exclusions that shape AI.

Through talks, interactive sessions, games, creative activities, artworks and film, we will explore how AI works, what it obscures, whose stories are heard, and how communities can reclaim visibility and participation. The day will consider themes including large language models, missing data, surveillance, mapping, environmental and cultural impacts, storytelling, power and representation. The symposium will conclude with a screening of LifeMosaic’s documentary Mapping & Monitoring in Indigenous Territories, followed by a discussion with producer Michael Watts. This closing session will draw together the day’s themes of participation, knowledge, visibility and community-led approaches to representing place.

The event takes place in person at the Glasgow University Union on 13 October 2026, Ada Lovelace Day. Tickets are £5, which helps encourage people to take up the places they book, with proceeds donated towards a community project with the Children’s Wood Charity.

We do not want cost to be a barrier. If the ticket price is difficult for you, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

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