Recap of the Amsterdam AI Impact Festival 2025
What an amazing first edition of the Amsterdam AI Impact Festival! NEMO Science Museum was buzzing with energy, curiosity, and inspiring conversations about how AI can shape society and how the public can play an active role in that process.
The Impact Festival kicked off with a dynamic conversation between our own public engagement expert Erik van Zwol, Jeroen Swiegertjes (NEMO) and Ruben Polderman (City of Amsterdam). Together, they discussed how citizens can be involved in the dialogue around AI, the role of science museums in making science accessible, and how citizen insights were used to shape Amsterdam’s AI Vision. Erik then spoke with Public Engagement Fellows Martijn Siepel and Valentina Gretz about their hands-on experiences facilitating public dialogues in different contexts, from large exhibitions to direct conversations with children.
The Make Impact Happen-panel, featuring Iffat Rose Gill (The Code to Change), Marysia Winkels (AI for Impact Collective) and Monique Steijns (The People’s AIgency), moderated by Samir Khan (Casual Retreat), offered a practical and realistic view of AI’s societal impact. They discussed topics such as AI literacy, predictive policing, discrimination, data privacy, and the potential for AI to be a powerful tool for positive impact.
Next, the Amsterdam AI Thesis Awards were presented by Lea Krause (VU University Amsterdam) and Na Li (University of Amsterdam), after which the winners shared their work. Congratulations to Remco Hogerwerf, Alisa Ikryannikova, Dominykas Šeputis and Liang Telkamp for their innovative and inspiring presentations.
During the event, attendees also had the chance to explore practical examples of AI impact, with special thanks to our partners AI for Impact Collective, QiStudy, AISO, and the Public Engagement Fellows.
As the year comes to a close, we are already looking ahead to 2026. With new events and collaborations on the horizon, we are excited to spotlight AI020, taking place on April 16th, 2026, at KIT Amsterdam.
AI020 is where the dynamic ecosystem of students, businesses and AI enthusiasts comes together to share ideas, insights and visions of the future about AI. There are no visitors here – only participants. Find more information on our website.
Feeling energized by the presentations and conversations? Curious to keep contributing? Dive deeper into the work of our Public Engagement Fellows and join the network.
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