Where is AI in 2026 and Where is it Going?

About this event

AI has advanced at a pace that's stunned even leading experts. These systems aren’t science fiction anymore—they’re reshaping work, relationships, and even crime.

This workshop explores where AI may be in the next 1–5 years and what that means for your daily life. Together, we’ll tackle urgent questions like:

​​​​​​​​​​Jobs: Could AI lead to mass unemployment—or entirely new kinds of work?

​​​​​​​​​​Crime: How might AI supercharge scams, hacking, and even physical crime?

​​​​​​​​​​Companions: Will people form deep emotional bonds—or even romantic relationships—with AI assistants?

​​​​​​​​​​Society: How do top researchers think these trends will shape our future?​​​​

What you’ll get:

​​​​​​​​​​A fast-paced, beginner-friendly overview of today’s most powerful AI systems

​​​​​​​​​​Live demos that reveal both the breakthroughs and the risks

​​​​​​​​​​An interactive forecasting exercise where you’ll test your own predictions about AI’s impact​​​​​​​

Come ready to explore a future arriving faster than most people realize—one that could transform not just how we work, but how we trust, connect, and even love.

Please note this is a hybrid event. Attendees are welcome to attend in person in Meeting Room #1 at the North Edison Branch or to join remotely via Zoom using this link .

Open to adults. Registration is suggested but not required and begins November 2.

About our partner

The AI Safety Awareness Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on the belief that a safe AI future is one where the traditional pillars of U.S. society have a seat at the table in deciding the direction of AI. The AI Safety Awareness Project (AISAP) want to be there for the first step: education and skills-building, so that Americans have the necessary expertise and awareness to direct our AI future. They run workshops and education programs for a variety of community groups and public institutions including law enforcement agencies, libraries, churches, universities, as well as the general public. AISAP partners with industry experts to inform organizations about frontier AI research and developments, including topics as diverse as workforce augmentation and displacement, AI agents and companions, cybercrime, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and loss of control risk.

For more information about AISAP, please visit https://aisafetyawarenessproject.org/