Where is AI in 2026 and Where is it Going?

As patrons come to us with more and more questions, this workshop will help in ensuring we all share accurate information with our communities. In just the past 8 months, AI has advanced at a pace that stunned even leading experts. These systems aren’t science fiction anymore—they’re reshaping work, relationships, and even crime in real time.

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.

About the Presenter:

Originally from Caracas, Venezuela Andres Ramirez has been living in Chicago for the past 25 years. Across a 7 year span he worked with 5 start-ups as an integral sales member helping navigate and secure funding rounds. In 2024 he pivoted into AI safety and now leads AI Safety Awareness Project's execution on its partnership framework. He has secured and grown partnerships with Seattle, Chicago, Oakland library systems, and WA, CA, IL, and NJ state libraries, with a dual focus of running workshops and training librarians on AI safety.