Responsible AI Symposium 2026

Safety isn't a single problem with a single solution. It's a spectrum — from the alignment researcher stress-testing model behavior, to the actor protecting their digital likeness, to the parent wondering what AI is teaching their kid about connection and loneliness.

At the 9th Annual Responsible AI Symposium, we're examining The Many Faces of Safety — the idea that building a resilient AI future requires us to hold all of these perspectives at once. Across tracks in health, policy, media & entertainment, and safety research, we'll explore what it means to design systems, laws, and norms that protect people across every dimension of their lives.

Come prepared for a full afternoon of wall-to-wall programming — a keynote, fireside chat, and panels that will leave you with a lot to think about. We're kicking things off with open networking before the first session and closing with a dedicated networking block at the end of the day — plus an afterparty for those who want to keep the conversation going.

Agenda

• 1:00-1:30: Check-in and Networking

• 1:30-1:40: Welcome

• 1:40-2:00: Keynote: The Many Faces of Safety

• 2:00-2:50: Building Trustworthy AI: From Research to Governance

• 2:50-3:20: Policy Fireside Chat

• 3:20-4:10: Connection & Care: AI's Impact on Human Wellbeing

• 4:10-5:00: Rights, Risk, and the Future of Entertainment

• 5:00-6:00: Networking Reception

• 6:00-8:00: After Party Offsite

​Session Descriptions

Keynote: The Many Faces of Safety: When AI systems fail — or are used to cause harm — who is responsible, and what happens next? Former U.S. Attorney and Morrison Foerster partner Tara McGrath has spent her career on both sides of that question: prosecuting cybercrime, fraud, and national security violations as head of one of the DOJ's largest offices, and now advising companies navigating enforcement, crisis, and regulatory scrutiny. She opens RAIS 2026 with a frank look at how the legal and regulatory landscape is catching up to AI — and what organizations need to understand before they're in the crosshairs.

• Tara McGrath, Investigations & White Collar Defense, Partner, Morrison Foerster, Former US Attorney, Southern District of California

Building Trustworthy AI: From Research to Governance: What does AI safety mean in practice, and how does that work translate into policy, law, and organizational decisions? This track brings together researchers, engineers, and practitioners to explore the landscape of alignment and risk, open questions in the field, and how organizations are navigating AI governance under emerging regulation, from compliance and liability exposure to what responsible deployment actually requires of the companies building and using AI today.

• Luis De Avila, Senior Solution Architect, Global Technology, Circle K

• Brittney Gallagher, Senior Program Manager, The Midas Project

• Melanie Plaza, CTO, AE Studio

• Stephanie Sharron, Partner, Morrison & Foerster

Policy Fireside Chat: Additional details coming soon.

• Frances Waldmann, Technology Regulatory, AI & Privacy, Partner, Gibson Dunn

Connection & Care: AI's Impact on Human Wellbeing: AI is becoming a coach, confidant, teacher, and companion for millions of people. While these technologies offer unprecedented access to support and information, they also raise important questions about dependency, identity, mental health, and trust. This conversation brings together clinical, psychological, and product perspectives to explore what AI is doing to us, why we are responding the way we are, and what responsibility builders have in shaping a future where technology supports human flourishing rather than replacing it.

• Don Grant, National Advisor of Healthy Device Management, Newport Healthcare

• Diba Kaya, Staff UX Researcher, JSTOR

• Lauren Mansfield, AI LA Ambassador

• David A. Quam, Clinical Professor of Healthcare Systems Engineering, LMU

Rights, Risk, and the Future of Entertainment: Creatives are negotiating AI on every front simultaneously — likeness and voice rights, licensing frameworks being rewritten in real time, shifting career skill sets, and how media companies are making practical decisions about AI adoption internally.

• Eric R. Burgess, CEO, Credtent

• Anna Ilina Semendyayeva, AI Lead, Global Catalog Recordings, BMG

• Ori Winokur, Head Of Media & Entertainment Partnerships and Global Head Of Music, Artlist

• Justin Trevor Winters, Co-Founder & CEO, Verified Labs and Full-Time Faculty, School of Film & Television, LMU

A special thank you to our sponsors, Gibson Dunn, Morrison Foerster, and Loyola Marymount University, for helping make these important conversations possible! 

​About AI LA

AI LA Community, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that's been building community around the responsible development and application of AI since 2016. We host over 100 events a year, including AI on the Lot, Earth Summit, Life Summit, Responsible AI Symposium, and monthly community meetups across various sectors.

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