LIFI22: Is The Metaverse Our Future Reality?

Thursday 22 September 2022

This event has passed.

Amongst the rhetoric of avatars, Meta and Web 3.0, what could and should this next phase of the internet really look like and mean for us all? 

Panel
Lara Lewington (host), Technology presenter

Leanne Elliott-Young, CEO and Co-Founder, Institute of Digital Fashion
Dr Neil McDonnell, LKAS Fellow for VR and AR, University of Glasgow
Ahmed Razek, Principal Technology Advisor – AI, Information Commissioner’s Office
Stephanie Whitley, Chief of Staff at Dubit

Leeds International Festival of Ideas event.

Price

£10

Start time
7pm

Duration
1 hour 30 minutes

Save 15% when booking all six panel discussions

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About the panel

A TV presenter and journalist specialising in lifestyle technology, Lara Lewington presents the BBC show, Click, where she investigates tools and tech with the potential to revolutionise our lives. With experience in everything from weather presenting and gadget reviews to interviewing the stars for Five News, Lara combines tech expertise with natural charisma to bring a unique perspective. 

C-suite executive, founder and academic, Leanne Elliott-Young is noted globally as an innovator and commentator on the metaverse, digital fashion innovation, inclusivity in tech, sustainability and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). She has spent over 15 years creating strategic concepts for future facing living, fusing the established with progressive, youth-centric points.

Dr Neil McDonnell has returned to academia from a leading role at Soluis. A Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, his research focuses specifically on Virtual and Augmented Reality. He jointly established Project Mobius which led to the creation of Edify – an immersive learning platform that will deliver ‘learning without limits.’

Principal advisor for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Ahmed Razek is an expert in AI, data and design. He has a passion for understanding the impact of technology on society and the ethical questions that emerge. He currently chairs the ICO’s AI working group and recently co-led their award winning Children’s Code Design Guidance.

Stephanie Whitley is Chief of Staff at Dubit – a games studio founded in the late 90s by a group of 16-17 year olds who wanted to make fun virtual worlds for young people like themselves. Today, Dubit creates metaverse experiences for brands including Samsung, Paramount, The Grammy Awards, and UEFA.

Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2022

Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI) is a metropolitan celebration of new ideas and innovation, which aims to introduce the brightest minds to the city and the city to the brightest minds to discuss new ideas and the world of tomorrow.

The festival, brought to the city by LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District), brings renowned names, experts in their field and some of the world’s most exciting thinkers to Leeds to share thoughts and ideas through a programme of inspiring keynote talks and thought-provoking panels, with its range of speakers just as diverse as the subject matter.

Visit leedsinternationalfestival.com for more information.

LIFI22: Is The Metaverse Our Future Reality?
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