RSA Events

At a time when democracies seem paralyzed by fear and populations are turning inward, award-winning journalist John Kampfner has travelled to ten countries confronting our shared challenges with bravery and imagination. 

From Japan’s inter-generational care system to Moroccan solar panels in the Sahara creating clean energy, John Kampfner’s new book Braver New World explores how countries across the globe are solving the most pressing problems. 

To discuss the finding in his book, John will join us at the Royal Society of Arts for a conversation with The Observer Editor-in-Chief, James Harding, and former UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband. 

Join us for an evening of ideas and discussion on how we can learn from others to build a better society.  

Speakers:

John Kampfner, Journalist

David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary

Chair:

James Harding, The Observer Editor-in-Chief

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We like to think the future is open. That our lives are shaped by choices, chance, and a bit of luck.

But increasingly, the future is being predicted, and those predictions are starting to decide things in advance. Whether we get a job, a loan, medical treatment, or even how we’re policed, many of life’s possibilities are now filtered through forecasts about who we are and what we might do next.

In this provocative conversation, Oxford philosopher Carissa Véliz argues that prediction has always been less about seeing the future than about controlling it. From ancient oracles to modern data systems, prophecies don’t just describe what will happen – they shape behaviour, narrow our options, and quietly distribute power.

Joining her is Roger McNamee, tech investor and NYT bestselling author of Zucked, who has spent years exposing how digital platforms turn prediction into influence.

Together, they explore a deeper, more uncomfortable question:

What happens when the future arrives pre-decided?

Speaker:

Carissa Veliz, associate professor at the Oxford Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics in AI

Chair:

Roger McNamee, tech investor and author

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In the three short years since the release of ChatGPT, AI chatbots have reshaped how millions of people live. But while the technology’s economic and political consequences are widely debated, its social and psychological impacts are only just beginning to come into focus.

Mental health is emerging as one of the most pressing – and troubling – frontiers. According to OpenAI’s own data from October 2025, as many as 560,000 users a week were showing “possible signs of mental health emergencies related to psychosis or mania” in their interactions with its systems. Clinicians, researchers, and journalists are now documenting cases in which vulnerable users form intense, and sometimes harmful, relationships with AI tools.

Join The Observer’s Technology Reporter Patricia Clarke, neuropsychiatrist at King’s College London Dr Thomas Pollak and Head of Research & Policy at Internet Matters Katie Freeman-Tayler for a live conversation based on reporting produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

The panel will be discussing how AI is rewiring our emotional lives and answering questions on what risk and responsibilities come with technologies that can mimic empathy? What obligations do tech firms, regulators and governments face? And what lessons can be drawn from the slow reckoning with social media’s toll on mental health – especially among children and young people?

Speakers:

Patricia Clarke, Technology Reporter at The Observer

Dr Thomas Pollak, Neuropsychiatrist at King’s College London

Katie Freeman-Tayler, Head of Research and Policy at Internet Matters

Chair:

James Harding, Editor-in-Chief of The Observer

In collaboration with: 

The Observer 

The Pulitzer Center’s AI Accountability Network.

 

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The Creative Industries are critical to the UK government’s growth plans. To realise the potential, action is needed across education, skills and the creative workforce.

This event sees the unveiling of findings from a major new study looking at skills provision across all sectors of the creative industries from museums and music, to publishing and performing arts. Representatives from across the creative industries will discuss the findings and analyse what they mean for the future of creative education, skills and workforce planning.

Download the reports: https://pec.ac.uk/research_report_entr/creative-industries-skills-audits/

This event is presented by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (funded by the AHRC) in partnership with Work Advance, and the Royal Society of Arts.

Speakers:

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council

Heather Carey, Director of Work Advance

Laura Mansfield, CEO of ScreenSkills

Sinéad Rocks, Managing Director of Nations & Regions, Channel 4

Baroness Shriti Vadera, Co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council

Rebecca Swarray, Principal for Creative Industries, Greater Manchester Combined Authority; freelance DJ, Curator and Producer

Chair:

Bernard Hay, Policy Director, Creative PEC

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Acclaimed royal biographer Robert Hardman takes to the stage at the Royal Society of Arts for an intellectually curious evening exploring the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II.

Marking the centenary of her birth, Hardman draws on unrivalled access to offer a subtle, revealing portrait of the woman behind the crown, guided by insights from his new book, ELIZABETH II.

The conversation will reflect on the Queen’s formative years, her leadership across the century she reigned, and her distinctive bond with the RSA – where she served as President, Patron, and a quiet but influential presence.

Blending historical insight with behind-the-scenes revelation, this event provides a thoughtful reflection on monarchy, legacy, and national identity in a changing world.

Speaker:

Robert Hardman, journalist, author and documentary filmmaker

Chair:

Emily Andrews, journalist, broadcaster and royal commentator

 

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