The Future of Adult and Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI

Emily Darlington is the MP for Milton Keynes Central. She is Chair of the Backbench Committee for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government and a member of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee. She was previously the Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes City Council.

Prior to her elected roles, she worked with an international development charity in Kenya, held senior roles in the university sector, public service innovation organisations and unions, and served as Special Advisor to the Department of Trade & Industry, and Special Advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at HM Treasury.

Professor Ian Pickup, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Students) at The Open University, is a passionate advocate for the role of universities in society. As a first-generation student, he deeply understands the transformative impact of higher education across learners' life journeys. He holds a BA (with QTS) from the University of Warwick and a PhD in Education from the University of Roehampton. A National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Ian has made significant contributions to student experience in higher education through leadership, teaching, and international education initiatives.

Ian joined The OU in April 2023, following senior roles at the University of East London, SOAS University of London, University College Cork, and the University of Roehampton. His career spans education, sport, and charitable sectors, including external leadership roles such as trustee of LYR, a charity using rowing to transform lives, and advisory board member for Common Purpose London. His work continues to shape higher education policies, practitioner training, and student experience strategies.

To learn more about his work, visit Professor Ian Pickup - Open University Profile

Keynote focus:

An Unschooler's Guide to Learning, Working and Innovating Playfully with AI

Growing up as an 'unschooler' in rural Pennsylvania, Jocelyn experienced first-hand the power of playfulness as a radical vehicle for self-directed learning, discovery and building personal agency. Now a leading advisor to the UK culture and heritage sector on AI, Jocelyn explores how the unschooling ethos might contain perspectives and practices ideally aligned to the rapidly-shifting landscape of AI - including how we learn, how we innovate, and how we stay true to our core values.

Keynote focus:

Responsible AI in practice. Challenges and Opportunities for HE

Over the past decade, AI and data-driven tools have become central to how higher education institutions support student success. Drawing on more than a decade of experience at the Open University, this keynote reflects on the opportunities and tensions that arise when designing AI systems to support students. Developing responsible AI in this context involves navigating significant challenges: biased and incomplete data, complex ethical and legal frameworks, effective communication with students and staff, and the risk of unintended harm to historically disadvantaged groups, among others. This talk also presents practical responses to these challenges, from conducting bias audits that assess both algorithmic and human biases to developing mechanisms that improve transparency and explainability, and addressing not only legal compliance but also broader ethical responsibilities. Rather than offering a perfect model, this keynote shares lessons from applied AI work in higher education as a way to communicate Responsible AI practices and experience that can support others in the sector and help ensure that AI systems are deployed in ways that effectively and ethically support all students.

Keynote focus:

AI, Skills and Jobs: Ethics and Opportunities

Artificial intelligence now sits at the heart of how we learn, work and confront the climate crisis, offering unprecedented avenues for up-skilling while amplifying ethical and environmental risks. This keynote probes that tension, asking how universities, businesses and citizens can cultivate “ethics-by-design” and “sustainability-by-default” mindsets as AI permeates classrooms and careers. We will weave together examples—from adaptive tutors that widen access, to green-AI engineering that slashes compute emissions—to illustrate both the promise and the footprint of data-hungry systems. Moving beyond hype, the talk confronts algorithmic bias, labour displacement and digital divides, then sketches pragmatic responses such as transparent governance frameworks, renewable-powered infrastructure and inclusive re-skilling pathways. Rather than prescribing a single model, it surfaces the trade-offs and choices each stakeholder must navigate, highlighting the Open University’s role in equipping lifelong learners to turn responsible AI principles into everyday practice. Attendees will leave with a sharper sense of the dilemmas ahead and a toolkit of OU resources and community initiatives that translate ethical, sustainable AI from aspiration to action.

Keynote focus:

Reimagining the Student Experience with AI: Practical Use Cases Across the Journey

As higher education institutions face increasing pressure to deliver more personalised, efficient, and scalable services, artificial intelligence is emerging as a key enabler of transformation.

This interactive session will explore how AI can be leveraged to redesign the student experience across key institutional touchpoints. Through two illustrative use cases in which Innova-tsn has actively collaborated, we will examine how AI can enhance advisory and administrative support, as well as enrich the student journey through personalised, context-aware interactions. Participants will gain practical insights into the application of AI to improve efficiency, engagement, and long-term value in higher education, ensuring that technology complements, rather than replaces, human connection and judgement.

Keynote focus:

Machine Design: A New Creative Literacy

As artificial intelligence takes a central role in design culture, we are no longer just shaping tools—we are shaping the frameworks through which ideas take form. This talk proposes a new form of creative literacy in response to this shift: one that bridges intuitive, human-centered creativity with the systemic logics of machines. Drawing from his research and design work, we will explore how AI-driven methodologies can enable new ways of thinking, imagining, and constructing. Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for human creativity, he argues for a symbiotic design language that expands our creative capacity. The talk invites a reflection on what it means to design with machines—not just as instruments of productivity, but as collaborators in a fundamentally new design ecology.

As the Director of Partnerships and Innovation at The Open University, I have accountability for UK and international partnerships, as well as identifying new opportunities to realise the OU's mission. My current responsibilities include leading the first merger and acquisition for the OU with the Open College of the Arts, spearheading the Short Course and Microcredential Strategy, and overseeing FE/Skills work, including a £10m DfE/OfS 'HE in FE' project.

I have also been involved in exploring how generative AI can play a role in course production, presentation, and improving business process effectiveness and efficiency.

I have also secured over £20m in grants and other income from organisations like the Gates Foundation, FCDO, DfE, and OfS.

My work has also included developing public learning programmes in sub-Saharan Africa with the BBC, DfID/FCDO, and the World Bank.

As an Associate Vice President at Infosys, one of the leading global IT and consulting firms, I am responsible for leading the Education Branding and Learner Experience team. With over 27 years of industry experience, I have developed a strong expertise in designing and delivering innovative and holistic learning solutions that help our clients navigate the new normal and equip their workforce with the skills of the future.

As a senior leader with Education, Training, and Assessment (ETA) team at Infosys, I collaborate with senior leaders and stakeholders to amplify thought leadership and talent competency. I drive the marketing strategy to help us achieve our business goals in India.

I have completed multiple certificate programs and management development programs from prestigious institutions, such as Stanford University, IE Business School, and IIMs, covering topics such as strategic leadership, AI applications, and learning and development. I have also received multiple honors and certifications for my work, including representing Infosys in the Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World. I was a finalist in the 2024 ISG Women in Digital Awards for the APAC and India region in the Digital Innovator Category.

I am passionate about empowering a digital-first approach to learning and making a positive impact on the world with my knowledge and skills.

Sophie heads up Economic Development (Invest MK) for Milton Keynes City Council and key areas of corporate policy including regional working (Central Area Growth Board, Fast Growth Cities network, Oxford- Cambridge arc) and Infrastructure investment planning.