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Speakers announced for the inaugural Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences

Thursday 27 August 2026
Global Forum wordmark

The programme and speakers have been announced for LSE’s inaugural Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences, taking place on 16 and 17 September 2026, with a thematic focus on AI and labour markets.

The two-day event will feature over 50 speakers from academia, government, international organisations, business, trade unions, research institutes, and civil society across multiple regions of the world.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Fabien Curto Millet (Chief Economist, Google)
  • Era Dabla-Norris (Deputy Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, International Monetary Fund)
  • Caroline Fredrickson (Director, Research and Statistics Department, International Labour Organization)
  • Peggy Hicks (Director, Thematic and Special Procedures Division, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights)
  • Simon Johnson (Professor of Entrepreneurship, Sloan School of Management, MIT)
  • Gustavo Merino (Director, Social Policies and Inclusion, UNESCO)
  • Alondra Nelson (Harold F. Linder Professor of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study)
  • Mark Pearson (Acting Director, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD)
  • Bosun Tijani (Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria)

Organised by the LSE Data Science Institute, the Global Forum aims to convene international dialogue at the intersection of AI and the social sciences and to mobilise expertise, resources, and partnerships to ensure AI serves human and societal needs.

The main sessions will be livestreamed and openly accessible, with registration details coming soon. The event will also bring together 100 invited delegates from around the world for an in-person convening.

The Global Forum 2026 is organised in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with the participation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is made possible through the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Dr Florian Ostmann, Distinguished Policy Fellow at the DSI and co-convener of the Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences, said:

“When we chose to focus the inaugural Global Forum for AI and the Social Sciences on labour markets, we did so because we saw an urgent need to strengthen understanding of how AI may impact employment and the nature of work, and of the policy options available in response. Since then, public attention to these questions has grown significantly, underlining the importance of bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and social partners to advance the evidence base and build a shared agenda for collaborative action. The programme reflects that ambition, and we look forward to two days of discussions with an outstanding group of contributors from around the world.”