An AI summit at the western edge of Europe. Two days to think slowly in the age of intelligence.
May 2027 sits at a crossroads. AI capability has moved further than most institutions have absorbed. Policy is being drafted in real time. Five-year decisions are being made without a clear map. This summit is for the people doing that thinking — in person, in a place where the land insists on slowness.
Not where it was a year ago, not where the press says it is — where it actually is in May 2027. Capabilities, frontiers, what's broken, what's surprised even the builders.
What this means for industries, institutions, communities. The honest second-order effects. Public policy at the moment of decision. The work people are losing and gaining.
For individuals, families, organisations, governments. The takeaways you can act on Monday. Being human in the age of intelligence. The soul-searching no one else has scheduled.
Quality over volume. An invited room of practitioners who are using AI at the frontier of their work — joined by a serious virtual tier so the conversation reaches further than the room.
This is, to our knowledge, the first AI summit organised in significant part by AI itself.
The very approaches the summit advocates are the approaches we use to build it. Our small standing team — operations, curation, story, accountability, design, community — runs alongside an AI cohort that helps with logistics, content threading, outreach, and moderation. The audience experiences, in the room, the future-of-work pattern the summit is about.
The point isn't novelty. The point is honesty. If AI can't help organise a thoughtful conference about AI, the wider claims should be doubted. So we're putting ours on the line.
A small Georgian town on Clew Bay, at the foot of Croagh Patrick, on the Wild Atlantic Way.
People have been coming to this corner of the world for a very long time — pilgrims, painters, writers, exiles, returners. There's a particular quality of attention the landscape produces. Weather changes every twelve minutes. The light is famously good. The conversations get long.
We chose Westport because it asks something different of you than a city does. You arrive with a tighter agenda than you leave with. That's not a bug; for this summit, it's the curriculum.
A small circle of confirmed backers, photographic collaborators and partners. More joining as the programme develops — including local enterprise, academic and civic partners.
Photographic collaborator and partner. His work is the visual grammar of the place — Westport, Clew Bay, Croagh Patrick, the islands, the light.
Convener of the summit. AI lecturer at NCI, author, builder. Hosting the world in Westport on the occasion of his 50th-year season.
A small number of founding-backer slots reserved for individuals who want to help bring this summit into existence. Visibility, programme input, a seat in the room.
Become a founding backer →In conversation with local enterprise, county council and tourism partners. Announcing as confirmations land.
Inviting university partners aligned with the three pillars. Research links, student access, joint sessions.
If the summit's three questions matter to your work, we should talk. Tiered partnership packs available on request.
Talk to us →Structure shown for context. Sessions, speakers and titles to be announced.
| Time | Session | Pillar |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Welcome & opening — the world is coming to Westport | Frame |
| 10:00 | Where AI actually is in May 2027 — a state-of-the-art briefing | State of the Art |
| 11:30 | Frontier panel — what surprised even the builders | State of the Art |
| 14:00 | Industries on the move — sectoral impact deep-dives | Impact |
| 16:00 | Public policy at the moment of decision | Impact |
| 19:30 | Mayo Day dinner — at a long table | Anchor |
| Time | Session | Pillar |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Walking session — Croagh Patrick base, conversation on foot | Anchor |
| 11:00 | Being human in the age of intelligence — a curated reflection | So What |
| 13:30 | Working sessions — what we take home Monday | So What |
| 15:30 | The cohort — what we keep building together after Westport | So What |
| 17:00 | Closing — the Atlantic light at the end of the day | Frame |
Programme announcing in waves. We are convening practitioners — builders, policymakers, scholars, artists — who use AI at the frontier of their work.
If you are using AI at the frontier of your work, we'd like to hear from you. Eight quick questions. Acceptance signal in 14 days.
