A two-day global summit where research on AI, immersive technology and the future of education meets real-world practice.
Artificial intelligence, immersive technology and intelligent systems are reshaping how we learn and work — often faster than institutions can keep up. What's needed is a room where the people building that future can compare notes. That room is WSIFT 2026.
The World Summit on Intelligent Futures & Transformation, hosted by the Virtual World Institute on 4–5 December 2026, brings together researchers, educators, innovators and industry leaders around one question: how do we shape intelligent technologies so they genuinely serve people, learning and society?
What to expect
Over two days, WSIFT connects cutting-edge research with real-world practice through keynotes, expert panels and live AI/VR/XR showcases — spanning ten tracks, from intelligent systems and virtual worlds to smart education, digital ethics and sustainable innovation. It's deliberately not an ivory-tower event: the aim is to put the people writing the papers in the same space as the people deploying the tools.
The keynote speakers
WSIFT 2026 brings together three leading voices on technology, learning and the future of education:
Dr. Chris Dede — Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and one of the most influential researchers on emerging technologies in learning, from immersive and virtual environments to the role of AI in education.
Dr. Lisa A. Giacumo — Associate Professor of Learning Design & Technology at George Mason University, whose work spans instructional design, learning analytics and the use of emerging tech to build real workforce capability.
Ashley Etemadi — Managing Partner at Motiva Education, working at the frontier of AI and VR/XR for real-world skills and ethical decision-making.
Why it's worth your time
- Attend for free — join all keynotes, panels and showcases at no cost.
- Present your research across any of the ten tracks (a presenter fee applies).
- Compete for awards — Best Paper, Best Presenter, Innovation and Young Researcher — with publication pathways.
- Build your network across institutions, enterprises and emerging talent from around the world.
For students and early-career researchers especially, it's a rare chance to present on a global stage and learn directly from scholars at Harvard, George Mason and beyond.
The future of learning won't be built by spectators. If AI, immersive technology and the transformation of education are part of your world — or you want them to be — WSIFT 2026 is where that future is being shaped. There are two simple ways in: register to attend for free, or submit your work to present.
WSIFT 2026 — AT A GLANCE
World Summit on Intelligent Futures & Transformation · 4–5 December 2026 · Hosted by the Virtual World Institute.
Register or submit your work here.
