The Future AI Conference - SPEAKER ABSTRACTS 2026

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is overall chair and organiser of Future AI, 2026.

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is a leading academic in visualisation and human‑centred computing (HCC) at Bangor University, working within the School of Computer Science and Engineering. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to data visualisation, visual analytics, human–computer interaction, design‑thinking methodologies, computing pedagogy, and AI‑supported design. His research centres on the development of explanatory and exploratory human‑centred visual systems, focusing on how people analyse, visualise, and interact with data.

He is widely known as the creator of the Five Design‑Sheet methodology and as lead author of Five Design‑Sheets: Creative Design and Sketching for Computing and Visualisation (Springer Nature, 2017). Earlier in his career, he co‑developed ColloCaid.uk, a platform designed to help people improve their writing through the use of word collocations. His recent work integrates AI, particularly exploring how artificial intelligence can assist people in performing visualisation design studies more effectively.

Andy Grant is the Director of Supercomputing, Higher Education, and AI for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Nvidia, bringing more than 25 years of high‑performance computing (HPC) expertise to the role. He has a distinguished track record in leading major HPC, AI, and quantum initiatives, having previously served as the Global Head of HPC, AI, and Quantum Sales at Atos. In that position, he oversaw large‑scale HPC programmes across multiple sectors, delivering numerous top‑50 HPC and major AI deployments. Earlier at Atos, he managed the HPC, big data, and cybersecurity division for the UK and Ireland, guiding the delivery of complex HPC and big‑data architectures.

Grant’s career also includes significant leadership roles at IBM, where he headed sales and business development for HPC in the UK and Ireland, managing both technical and commercial teams. He is a founding member of the UK Government’s e‑Infrastructure Leadership Council, contributing strategic guidance on national HPC and big‑data policy. Known for his enthusiasm for advancing the supercomputing and AI landscape, Grant continues to work closely with colleagues, partners, and customers across the EMEA region to drive innovation and support the next generation of large‑scale computing solutions.

Peter leads the learn digital skills service to build digital transformation skills and confidence of staff in existing roles and support those who want to move into Welsh digital public services.

Pontus Stenetorp is a Professor of Natural Language Processing in the Department of Computer Science at University College London (UCL), where he works at the intersection of NLP and machine learning. He also serves as Deputy Director of the UCL Centre for Artificial Intelligence and is the UCL–Facebook AI Research PhD Programme Director, contributing to leadership and strategy across UCL’s AI research ecosystem.

His research focuses broadly on large language models, machine reading, deep learning, and computational linguistics, areas in which he has published extensively and supervised world‑leading research teams. He has progressed through multiple academic roles at UCL—from Lecturer to Full Professor—and previously conducted research at the University of Tokyo and the National Institute of Informatics. [Homepage]

Karin Sevegnani is a senior solutions architect at NVIDIA, where she leads the NVIDIA AI Technology Centre (NVAITC) in the UK. In this role, she drives collaborations with higher education institutions and research organizations to advance AI innovation and adoption. Before joining NVIDIA, Karin worked as a research engineer in Edinburgh, applying her expertise in AI development. She holds a PhD in Conversational AI from a joint program between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, completed under a combined scholarship and degree arrangement. Her specialization lies in natural language processing (NLP), particularly in conversational AI systems. [Technical blog page]

Gruffudd (Gruff) Prys is a Senior Terminologist and Head of the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University. His work centres on Welsh‑language technology, terminology development, and digital language infrastructure, contributing extensively to national efforts in Welsh language standardisation and technological innovation.

He has played a key role in major terminology and language‑technology projects, co‑authoring influential resources such as Cysill Ar-lein, a corpus and toolset for contemporary Welsh spelling and grammar, and contributing to research on Welsh POS tagging, terminology management, and language technology in Wales. His publications span book chapters, research reports, and conference papers, reflecting a long‑standing commitment to strengthening Welsh in digital contexts.

Jonny Hancox a Senior Solutions Architect from the Health and Life Sciences team at Nvidia, will talk on Medical imaging and the use of frameworks like MONAI. He is an experienced Software Architect with a demonstrated history of working in both research and commercial environments. Strong skills in the design and development of innovative healthcare solutions using a variety of popular languages and frameworks. Solid record of working with Deep Learning for medical image analysis with a number of NHS departments and Pharmaceutical companies. [Technical blog page]

Karin Sevegnani is a senior solutions architect at NVIDIA, where she leads the NVIDIA AI Technology Centre (NVAITC) in the UK. In this role, she drives collaborations with higher education institutions and research organizations to advance AI innovation and adoption. Before joining NVIDIA, Karin worked as a research engineer in Edinburgh, applying her expertise in AI development. She holds a PhD in Conversational AI from a joint program between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, completed under a combined scholarship and degree arrangement. Her specialization lies in natural language processing (NLP), particularly in conversational AI systems. [Technical blog page]

Ira Shokar works on CAE and Earth-2 at NVIDIA, focusing on AI for physical simulation, surrogate modeling and design optimization with PhysicsNeMo. Before joining NVIDIA, he completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, where he developed probabilistic deep learning emulators for chaotic and turbulent fluid flows. [Technical blog page]

Paul Graham joined NVIDIA in Dec 2018 where he has responsibility for supporting customers and partners in delivering accelerated solutions for the higher education, high performance computing, and AI communities in the UK. Previously, he spent 20 years working at EPCC, the supercomputing center at the University of Edinburgh, where he worked on a broad range of academic and industrial projects, parallelizing and optimizing code, and assisting small and medium businesses in gaining access to and using HPC facilities. As well as providing advice to researchers on making the best use of their NVIDIA hardware, Paul teaches how to program for GPUs, mentors at hackathons, and regularly engages with the research software engineering groups at UK universities. [LinkedIn> | Technical blog page].

Karin Sevegnani is a senior solutions architect at NVIDIA, where she leads the NVIDIA AI Technology Centre (NVAITC) in the UK. In this role, she drives collaborations with higher education institutions and research organizations to advance AI innovation and adoption. Before joining NVIDIA, Karin worked as a research engineer in Edinburgh, applying her expertise in AI development. She holds a PhD in Conversational AI from a joint program between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, completed under a combined scholarship and degree arrangement. Her specialization lies in natural language processing (NLP), particularly in conversational AI systems. [Technical blog page]

Professor Edmund Burke is the Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University. With a career dedicated to higher education and the pursuit of academic excellence, Professor Burke has held senior positions at the University of Nottingham, University of Stirling, Queen Mary University of London as well as, most recently, at the University of Leicester. He has a distinguished international research profile in Operational Research. His research investigates intelligent decision support methodologies in complex environments and lies at the interface of Computer Science and Mathematics. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and President of the Operational Research Society.

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is overall chair and organiser of Future AI, 2026.

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is a leading academic in visualisation and human‑centred computing (HCC) at Bangor University, working within the School of Computer Science and Engineering. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to data visualisation, visual analytics, human–computer interaction, design‑thinking methodologies, computing pedagogy, and AI‑supported design. His research centres on the development of explanatory and exploratory human‑centred visual systems, focusing on how people analyse, visualise, and interact with data.

He is widely known as the creator of the Five Design‑Sheet methodology and as lead author of Five Design‑Sheets: Creative Design and Sketching for Computing and Visualisation (Springer Nature, 2017). Earlier in his career, he co‑developed ColloCaid.uk, a platform designed to help people improve their writing through the use of word collocations. His recent work integrates AI, particularly exploring how artificial intelligence can assist people in performing visualisation design studies more effectively.

Professor Martyn F. Guest is Director of Advanced Research Computing at Cardiff University. He obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Sussex University in 1967 and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry, also from Sussex, in 1971 under the direction of Prof. J.N. Murrell. Following a postdoctoral position with Prof. I.H. Hillier at the University of Manchester, Professor Guest joined the Science and Engineering Research Council in 1972, first at the Atlas Computer Laboratory (Chilton, Oxfordshire), and from 1979 at the Daresbury Laboratory near Warrington.

He spent three years as Senior Chief Scientist and Technical Group Leader of the High Performance Computational Chemistry Group at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, Washington, USA). Professor Guest returned to the UK in 1995 as Associate Director of the Computational Science and Engineering Department at the STFC Daresbury Laboratory (UK) before taking up his present position at Cardiff University in Mach 2007.

Pryderi has been providing strategic direction as Director of M-SParc since 2018. His leadership is focused on the vision: to ensure that local communities, the economy, culture, and the environment can flourish sustainably through the creation of high-quality employment opportunities. With a background in local government and extensive entrepreneurial experience since the age of 16, Pryderi is dedicated to fostering an environment where businesses and communities can thrive. Outside of work, Pryderi enjoys watching Arsenal, cycling, and listening to music of all kinds. He is also a keen socialiser(!) and runs a pizza van and a glamping business!

Bruce’s work focuses on using data-driven predictive modelling techniques to solve difficult business problems. His work has been applied in fields such as health, logistics, finance and marketing. He is also particularly interested in finding better ways to apply machine learning techniques, statistics and data science to investment and trading.

Khaled Hussainey was appointed as a Professor in Accounting at Bangor Business School in April 2024. Formerly, he held positions at Portsmouth University, Plymouth University, Stirling University, Manchester University, and Ain Shams University. He has more than twenty-five years of teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has a growing research reputation in the field of accounting and finance. His research interests focus on corporate narrative reporting. He has been featured in the list of “World Ranking of Top 2% Researchers” database created by experts at Stanford University (USA). He has published more than 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has written a number of book chapters and edited several books. His articles have appeared in such journals as Accounting and Business Research, British Accounting Review, Business Strategy and the Environment, European Financial Management, International Journal of Finance and Economics, International Review of Financial Analysis, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Accounting Literature, Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, and Technological Forecasting & Social Change. He has received external research grants from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); British Academy; Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF), Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and Abu Dhabi University. He is Co-Editor of Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting and Editor of International Journal of Emerging Markets. He is Associate Editor of International Journal of Finance and Economics, Journal of Applied Accounting Research, International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation and Review of Accounting and Finance.

Dr Siwan Mitchelmore is a Senior Lecturer in Business and Management at Bangor Business School and is an expert researcher in Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation in SMEs. Siwan's work has appeared in many International recognised Journals including Journal of International Management, Journal of Business Research and Journal of Small Business Management. Siwan was recognised for her excellence in teaching and was awarded a Bangor University Teaching Fellowship in the the 2016 University Graduation Ceremony.

Franck is a Computational Scientist in Imaging at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the research arm of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Honorary Professor at Bangor University. His research focuses on image analysis and computer vision, mathematical optimisation, and high-performance computing. He is particularly interested in X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), investigating how high-performance computational simulations can improve experimental X-ray imaging.

Marianna is a quantitative ecologist driven by a passion for advancing the fields of ecology, movement ecology, habitat conservation, and species monitoring. She obtained her PhD at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where she investigated the foraging behaviour of two diving seabird species—common guillemots (Uria aalge) and razorbills (Alca torda)—during their breeding season. Using combined tracking data from GPS, Time Depth Recorders, and accelerometers, she characterised their foraging strategies both above and below the water, identifying common patterns, differences in movement, and distinct hunting strategies. Since completing her PhD, Marianna has worked with a diverse range of species, including Arctic and Northern Hemisphere seabirds, Arctic terrestrial mammals, Mediterranean marine turtles, and even Antarctic wildlife. Her research broadly focuses on questions related to animal movement processes, responses to environmental change, and the links between movement, population dynamics, and life‑cycle strategies. She uses biological data—such as accelerometers, GPS tags, and SRDL devices—to understand how, where, when, and why animals move. Marianna is equally enthusiastic about coding and modelling, frequently working with statistical tools and individual‑based models (IBMs). At the same time, she thrives in the field—nothing brings her more joy than hands‑on ecological work outdoors. She is joining the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University as Lecturer in Marine Top Predators Ecology, where she looks forward to continuing her research on how changes in the availability of marine resources affect the energetics, fitness, behaviour, decision‑making, and habitat use of marine predators.

Aran White is an MEng Electronic Engineering student and a Junior Researcher at the DSP Centre. His work focuses on Visible Light Positioning, Optical Wireless Communication technologies, and next‑generation indoor navigation systems, where he contributes to developing advanced signal‑processing solutions for future smart‑environment applications.

Dr Llŷr ap Cenydd is a VR developer and Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Bangor University. His work focuses on virtual reality, real‑time graphics, procedural animation, and artificial life. Using AI and smart decision, he develops interactive and immersive games. He is best known as the creator of Ocean Rift, one of the earliest and most influential underwater VR experiences, allowing users to explore marine environments and encounter dolphins, whales, sharks, and other ocean life. Ocean Rift website: https://oceanriftvr.com/.

Llŷr is also the solo developer behind Crashland, an action‑horror VR game praised for its fast combat, advanced procedural animation, and immersive creature design. Crashland website: https://www.crashlandvr.com/

Alongside his commercial VR work, Llŷr teaches game design and development and continues to research cutting‑edge VR technologies, including procedural animation and interactive simulation.

Eben researches the cultural, social, and spatial significance of bookstores—both physical and digital—as meaningful locations where ideas circulate, communities gather, and new possibilities emerge. His work spans interviews, corpus analysis, and cultural studies, including The Fantasy of the Bookstore (2022), and he supervises postgraduate research on indie bookselling, book culture, and the wider book trade.

Sophie Todd graduated from Bangor University with a first-class honor’s degree in Psychology in August 2021. During my degree, I was able to gain experience tutoring children with dyslexia one to one through the ‘leap into literacy program’. She went on to graduate from Durham University with her PGCE in primary education, and recently completed her MA in Education at Bangor University, where she focused on dyslexia, accessibility, and inclusive learning. She has been working as a primary school teacher in Cyngor Sir Ynys Mon, Isle of Anglesey County Council. Recently she has been an intern on the Get Into AI project, specialising in making AI‑related educational resources more accessible to learners with dyslexia.

Her work sits at the intersection of education, accessibility, AI, and literacy, with a strong commitment to improving learning experiences for neurodivergent students.

Professor Niebrzydowski is a professor of Medieval Literature. She has been Director of the Graduate School for the College of Arts and Humanities during her career at Bangor University. Sue Niebrzydowski is a director of The Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book at Bangor.

Steph Parry is a third year student studying for her BSc in Computer Science.

Martina studied law at the University of Tübingen before completing an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Edinburgh in 1999, and a DPhil on the influence of the media on public perceptions of crime and criminal justice at the University of Oxford in 2008. She worked as a research officer at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford for six years on numerous projects funded by the Youth Justice Board, the Home Office, and the Nuffield Foundation.

Bethan is currently Reader in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She joined the School of Social Sciences in January 2016, having previously been the recipient of several grants and fellowships at the School of Law, University of Manchester (2011-2015), and the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Oxford (2008-2011). Bethan holds a PhD in Criminology (Keele University), an MA in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice (Bangor University, received with distinction) and a BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Bangor University, first class).

Her research interests lie in the areas of policing and security, in particular: policing cultures, covert/undercover policing and surveillance; the operation and governance of private security; border enforcement; the use of Artificial Intelligence in law enforcement, and the policing of social divisions. She has conducted two major ethnogra phic field studies, both of which involved conducting prolonged observations of police officers as they went about their ordinary duties. She has been awarded research grants from the ESRC and Leverhulme Trust, and won a Simon Fellowship at the University of Manchester where she conducted research on the policing of international borders. Bethan is the author of Police Culture in a Changing World (Oxford University Press) and articles in major journals.

Dr Peter W. S. Butcher is a Lecturer in Human‑Computer Interaction (HCI) in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Bangor University. His research focuses on immersive analytics, data visualisation, and web‑based XR (VR/AR), developing interactive systems that help users explore and understand complex data in immersive and situated environments.

He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Chester, following an MSc and BSc at Bangor University, and has contributed to multiple high‑impact research projects across immersive analytics, collaborative visualisation, and cross‑disciplinary HCI applications. His work has appeared in prestigious venues such as IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

Peter teaches across advanced computing topics, including High‑Performance Computing (HPC) and advanced computational methods, drawing on his background in web‑based XR systems and data‑centric engineering. He is also engaged in interdisciplinary research on AI in Law, collaborating with Dr Sarah Nason (School of Law, Bangor University) to explore how artificial intelligence, visualisation, and decision‑support systems can support legal processes, public‑law analysis, and access to justice.

He is part of Bangor’s Immersive Environments Laboratory and contributes to research within the DSP Centre, while supervising student projects in immersive analytics, HCI, VR/AR, data visualisation, HPC and AI.

Glory Ogbonda is a data scientist and a full-stack developer with a passion for creating data-driven solutions that drive business results and social impact. He has years of experience in analysing complex data sets, developing predictive models, and designing interactive visualisations using a wide range of technologies and techniques, such as machine learning, data visualisation, and statistical analysis. Currently, is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at Bangor University, as part of the UKRI CDT in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Computing (AIMLAC) programme where he is conducting a research on the use of AI in visualising the UK public law.

Professor Oliver Turnbull is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Neuropsychology at Bangor University. He is an internationally recognised neuropsychologist whose research focuses on the role of emotion in mental life, with particular interests in emotion‑based learning and intuition, emotion in delusional beliefs, the neuroscience of psychotherapy, emotion regulation, and emotional memory, including its preservation in profound amnesia.

Alongside his academic work, Professor Turnbull is an experienced clinician, working with patients who have neurological lesions—especially those recovering from stroke and traumatic brain injury. He is the author of around 200 scientific publications, and co‑author of the widely translated popular science book The Brain and the Inner World (with Mark Solms), as well as Mistakes in Clinical Neuropsychology (with Christian Salas and Rudi Coetzer).

Michael Rushton is a Professor in Nuclear Energy at Bangor University, working within the Nuclear Futures Institute. His research focuses on atomic‑scale simulation of energy materials, with particular expertise in nuclear fuel, wasteforms, and actinide oxides. He specialises in developing high‑fidelity potential models, and in using molecular dynamics and lattice‑based methods to understand fuel behaviour—especially the interactions between fission gas bubbles and nuclear fuel lattices.

Before joining Bangor in 2017, Professor Rushton worked at Imperial College London in the Centre for Nuclear Engineering, where he helped establish Bangor’s BWR Hub and Network, on which he continues to serve. His work spans both crystalline and amorphous materials, with applications in nuclear fuels, batteries, and fuel‑cell materials. He has also contributed to major international programmes, including the EPSRC UK–Japan collaboration on radiolytic heating of high‑dose adsorbents and the NFIR fuels programme for EPRI.

Alongside his research, Michael regularly engages in public communication on nuclear technologies, including panel contributions at COP Cymru on nuclear co‑generation and media commentary on energy security

Dr William J. Teahan is a Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at Bangor University. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Agents, and the application of text‑compression‑based language models to Information Retrieval (IR) and text mining, including Information Extraction.

Before joining Bangor, Dr Teahan held several international research posts. He was a Research Fellow in the Information Retrieval Group at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen (1999–2000), an invited researcher in the Information Theory Department at Lund University in Sweden (1999), and a Research Assistant in the Machine Learning and Digital Libraries Laboratories at the University of Waikato in New Zealand (1998). He completed his PhD at the University of Waikato in 1998, where his doctoral work focused on applying text compression models to the problem of modelling English text.

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is overall chair and organiser of Future AI, 2026.

Professor Jonathan C. Roberts is a leading academic in visualisation and human‑centred computing (HCC) at Bangor University, working within the School of Computer Science and Engineering. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to data visualisation, visual analytics, human–computer interaction, design‑thinking methodologies, computing pedagogy, and AI‑supported design. His research centres on the development of explanatory and exploratory human‑centred visual systems, focusing on how people analyse, visualise, and interact with data.

He is widely known as the creator of the Five Design‑Sheet methodology and as lead author of Five Design‑Sheets: Creative Design and Sketching for Computing and Visualisation (Springer Nature, 2017). Earlier in his career, he co‑developed ColloCaid.uk, a platform designed to help people improve their writing through the use of word collocations. His recent work integrates AI, particularly exploring how artificial intelligence can assist people in performing visualisation design studies more effectively.

Professor William Heath is the Head of School of Computer Science and Engineering, Bangor University. He is a specialist in feedback control theory, with research spanning both classical and modern digital control. His work focuses on bridging the clarity and intuition of classical control approaches with the computational power of digital implementations to address nonlinear control problems. A central theme of his research is the behaviour of systems with actuator nonlinearities, including saturation, rate constraints, backlash, and hysteresis.

He has a strong interest in multiplier theory within the framework of absolute stability theory, and his recent work includes developing new frequency‑domain characterisations of both continuous‑time O’Shea–Zames–Falb multipliers and their discrete‑time analogues. These theoretical advances support practical applications in model predictive control (MPC) and anti‑windup, where Professor Heath’s contributions help improve stability, robustness, and real‑world performance.