Detailed agenda
Sessions are listed in Eastern Time.
Subject to change as details are confirmed.
Tuesday, November 4
Connect with industry peers in small roundtable discussions to discuss key issues, priorities, and strategies. A readout of insights will guide our editorial hosts in tailoring their on-stage interviews.
*Available to in-person attendees only*
Networking and refreshments for our live audience.
In unpredictable times, clarity is a competitive advantage. In our opening segment we explore how today’s leaders stay grounded in vision, leveraging transformative technology to create impact amid complexity.
As copilots evolve into autonomous agents, artificial intelligence is becoming core infrastructure. But with growing power comes growing risk. This session explores why building aligned, secure superintelligence may be the most urgent technical challenge ahead—and what leaders must prioritize now to ensure that AI remains a force for good.
As digital platforms shape more of our lives, the question isn’t just what technology can do—but who it serves. This session offers a hopeful vision for building a civic internet rooted in trust, transparency, and human agency.
Toast the kick-off of EmTech MIT, meet and mingle with your peers and industry-leading speakers, and make the unparalleled connections only MIT Technology Review can provide.
*Available to in-person attendees only*
Wednesday, November 5
Discover MIT’s storied legacy and its mission: to advance knowledge in science and technology that will best serve the world in the 21st century. Take a campus tour that highlights iconic buildings, pioneering labs, and the milestones that have shaped the Institute's impact on technology and society. Walk through the corridors where innovation happens, and experience firsthand the atmosphere that inspires breakthrough thinking.
*Available to in-person attendees only*
AI is no longer just a tool—it’s becoming the core of how work is done and decisions are made. In this chapter, we explore what it means to lead in an enterprise rewired by this technology.
AI collapses development timelines from months to minutes—but velocity demands vigilance. Explore the hidden costs of AI-driven development: the potential to erode technical mastery, the introduction of vulnerabilities, and the thin line between providing assistance and promoting dependence. Learn how to harness AI’s speed while safeguarding quality, security, and human expertise in your teams.
Borders are back—but for algorithms. As nations mandate data localization, model transparency, and domestic AI development, global enterprises face a splintered tech landscape. How do you deploy AI when every country has different rules? This session maps the risks you’ll encounter in the era of digital sovereignty and the strategies that can help you navigate them.
If you still see AI as just chatbots and copilots, you're behind. The agentic revolution is here: AI takes initiative, makes judgment calls, and acts as a true collaborator. Discover how autonomous agents transform work inside well-structured organizations, but also what it takes to operate effectively in the chaotic, unreliable terrain of the open web. Discover how pioneering leaders are deploying these agents to drive transformation—while keeping crucial human oversight in the loop.
Networking and refreshments for our live audience.
The imperative for sustainability continues to grow, driven by both climate necessity and long-term economic opportunity. Transformative technology is unlocking new pathways to cleaner energy, sustainable design, and resilient business models fostering a new green economy.
With capital tightening, climate tech’s progress hangs in the balance—just as breakthroughs in grid storage, carbon capture, and green materials near commercialization. How do we maintain momentum? This session reveals alternative funding models, corporate partnerships, and policy levers for those seeking to scale solutions before the window closes.
Policy tailwinds may be fading, but the economic case for climate action is stronger than ever. Companies leading in decarbonization are seeing tangible rewards: premium valuations, supply chain resilience, and loyal customers. This session reveals how to turn sustainability from a cost center into a growth engine—and why the next wave of market leaders will be defined by their climate grit.
The global shift away from fossil fuels is accelerating, and nuclear energy is emerging as a key pathway forward. From small modular reactors to floating plants, advanced nuclear designs promise reliable baseload power, hydrogen production, and integration with renewables. This session explores where nuclear fits in the clean energy transition and the breakthroughs making it safer, cheaper, and ready for the modern grid.
Lunch and networking for our live audience.
AI’s invisible hand is quietly shaping what we see, choose, and believe—and understanding this influence can help businesses anticipate trends, seize opportunities, and address risks while building public trust.
Algorithms now curate reality: what we buy, who we trust, even how we vote. But while businesses chase “personalization,” there is also the challenge of managing polarization, misinformation, and addiction. This session maps the powerful potential and the pitfalls of algorithmic influence, offering a roadmap for leaders to align innovation and profit with the public good in the age of hyper-targeted persuasion.
AI companions offer connection without conflict, always agreeable, endlessly validating. They can enhance connection and accessibility, but they also raise new questions about real intimacy. This session examines both the benefits and the hidden costs of "synthetic friendship," from improving comfort and inclusion to the potential for eroded social skills, ideological echo chambers, and a generation that prefers being liked by bots over being understood by people.
From pricing to packaging, AI can optimize every touchpoint for maximum conversion. The highest ROI comes from alignment. Discover how to use AI to identify unmet needs, reduce choice overload, and design purchasing journeys that drive revenue while building long-term trust and loyalty through genuine customer satisfaction.
Networking and refreshments for our live audience.
The future belongs to those who anticipate it. Uncover the transformative advancements that are still on the horizon and gain the foresight to navigate the future with confidence.
Gone are the days of serendipitous discovery. AI now maps the vast "materials genome," identifying candidates for specific uses—stronger alloys, efficient catalysts, biodegradable polymers—all before a single experiment is run. Learn how this computational revolution is redefining what’s possible in cleantech, electronics, and beyond.
AI is transforming R&D by enabling closed-loop experimentation, automated labs, and faster iteration—first in biotech, now across industries. Learn how companies are applying AI to accelerate medical discovery, reduce risk, and drive innovation at scale. What began in synthetic biology is fast becoming a model for enterprise R&D everywhere.
Join your peers and the MIT Technology Review team out in Kendall Square, the most innovative square mile on the planet.
*Available to in-person attendees only*
Thursday, November 6
Discover MIT’s storied legacy and its mission: to advance knowledge in science and technology that will best serve the world in the 21st century. Take a campus tour that highlights iconic buildings, pioneering labs, and the milestones that have shaped the Institute's impact on technology and society. Walk through the corridors where innovation happens, and experience firsthand the atmosphere that inspires breakthrough thinking.
*Available to in-person attendees only*
Networking and refreshments for our live audience.
Some breakthroughs are here, others are just coming into view. In this closing chapter, we explore the technologies on the edge of adoption. Expect bold ideas, early signals, and powerful insights into the next era of business and society.
AI is reshaping how we design, simulate, and build complex physical systems, accelerating today’s production processes across industries. Learn what’s coming next as we explore emerging breakthroughs in additive manufacturing, process automation, and AI-enabled co-design, and how tools like digital twins and factory intelligence are redefining what’s possible.