Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly propelling the financial sector into a new era, moving beyond incremental advancements to enable fundamental, strategic reinvention. For executives, AI developers, regulators, and industry strategists, understanding AI’s pervasive impact is rapidly becoming a prerequisite for effective leadership, innovation, and risk management in finance. 

A Call for Internships from the Asian University for Women - 50 Women, 50 Futures.

At InspiredMinds, we believe that technology and human resilience go hand in hand. That belief is never clearer than in our ongoing partnership with the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh, a formidable institution dedicated to educating women from some of the world’s most fragile and conflict-affected regions.

Over the past five years, we have supported AUW: helping secure internships for over 300 students, assisting in emergency evacuations, and guiding buses of young Afghan women to safety during the fall of Kabul in 2021. These women have shown extraordinary courage. Now, they need our community's help.

A Shifting Landscape of Law, Strategy, and Standards

As Artificial Intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in the fabric of society, governments worldwide are racing to create robust governance frameworks that ensure safety, accountability, and innovation. In 2025, the legal and regulatory environment for AI is evolving rapidly, with key developments in major regions signalling a new era of strategic alignment, competition, and complexity.

Zarinah Agnew wants more than smarter systems—she wants a smarter species. As Research Director at the Collective Intelligence Project, she’s exploring how Artificial Intelligence can strengthen, not splinter, our ability to coordinate, communicate and coexist. Ahead of World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), she shares why human-AI collaboration must focus on healing divides, not deepening them—and why our biggest upgrade might not be technical, but social.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

I want to see AI solve some of the problems that humans have failed on, I want to see human-AI collaboration forge a future of human and non-human flourishing, to help us transition our economic system to one that serves life, to improve our collective decision making and coordination so that we can face both the planetary challenges and opportunities that we have at our hands.

Mark Heynen isn’t here to hype Artificial Intelligence. He’s here to ground it. Ahead of World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), the Knapsack co-founder opens up about the real risks of power concentration, the promise of privacy-first tools and why the future may depend less on regulation—and more on responsible founders.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

I dream of having it do my dishes and laundry. Simple, but telling -- it could then really save us all from life's drudgery.

Before taking the stage at World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), Bernardo Flores shares why bridging academia and industry is critical now. From student-led tools for mental health to sustainable tech with IBM, he’s focused on using Artificial Intelligence to empower—not replace—human potential.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

A dream scenario for me would be seeing AI applications and systems being used for social good. To empower individuals not just knowledge wise, but to allow them to find ways to solve or mitigate issues within their communities, in a way that it can be beneficial for all. For instance, something that gives me great hope is when my students, for their master project, want to focus on building multi-agentic AI systems for healthcare (e.g. mental health, wellbeing, ...), education (e.g. pre-school learning companions) and other causes that show the commitment that future work forces have to use AI for a greater good.

Ahead of his talk at World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), we caught up with Robert Petrosino, Strategic Engagement Advisor: AI, FBI. From bedtime storytelling to medical decision-making, Petrosino envisions a future where AI is a deeply personal support system woven into our daily lives. In this conversation, he reflects on his work bringing agent-based systems to the private sector, the overlooked role of chip manufacturing and energy in achieving AGI, and why 2028 may mark a turning point in our relationship with intelligent machines.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

Personalized support system for the hardest decision in our lives from entertainment choices to medical recommendations.

Ahead of his talk at World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), we caught up with Thorsten Zander, Founder and Chief Scientist of Zander Labs. A pioneer in neuroadaptive technology, Zander envisions a future where AI seamlessly integrates with human cognition, using real-time brain-computer interfaces to create intuitive, personalized digital experiences. In this interview, he shares breakthroughs in passive brain-computer interfaces, the potential of cognitive-aware AI across sectors, and why aligning technology with human mental states is essential for a truly human-compatible future.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

Our ultimate aspiration is to develop AI systems that seamlessly integrate with human cognition, enabling technology to intuitively understand and adapt to our mental states in real time. By leveraging passive brain-computer interfaces (pBCIs), we aim to create a world where human-computer interaction is effortless and personalized, enhancing productivity, wellbeing, and overall quality of life.

Ahead of his talk at World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), we caught up with Vijay Karunamurthy, Field CTO at Scale AI. In this interview, Karunamurthy offers a refreshingly pragmatic view of AI's future—one where collaboration, conversation, and career-aligned learning take center stage. From building voice agents for TIME Magazine to designing AI tutors with purpose, he explores how AI can shift from static tools to dynamic partners that reshape how we learn, communicate, and engage with the world.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

Fundamentally rethink how businesses collaborate.

Ahead of this talk at World Summit AI USA 2025 (June 18–19, San Francisco), we spoke with Joel Myhre—Humanitarian Innovator & Co-Chair of the UN Global Information Management Working Group for GIS, WHO EOC-NET. 

With decades of experience at the intersection of technology and humanitarian aid, Myhre champions the transformative role of AI in addressing global crises like climate change, conflict, and public health. In this conversation, he shares his vision for a more inclusive, transparent AI future, shaped by open data, global collaboration, and equity-first innovation.

What’s your most compelling dream scenario for AI — a breakthrough that would fundamentally improve life on a global scale?

For over two decades, I’ve worked with technology and humanitarian response and I’ve been fortunate to attend WSAI events for the past seven years, and as I look forward, this is a critical time where AI innovations can help meet the enormous challenges of climate change and Humanitarian Response! My dream scenario is Humanitarian AI with inclusive and equitable governance, transparency, and algorithmic audits, open data to enable local first responders, and engagement with academia, industry, governments, and the United Nations to leverage AI to streamline response efforts.