OCTOBER 26, 2026
#SeattleAIWeek Opening Reception
Showcasing Seattle as a Leading AI Hub
The opening of #SeattleAIWeek, focused on public policy and economic development. AI's biggest unanswered questions aren't technical — they're about who decides, who benefits, and what we're willing to live with. Policymakers and technologists share the stage to start answering them.
Agenda
3pm - Doors Open followed by Opening RemarksÂ
Doors open and the fun begins!
4:25-4:45 - Waymo Keynote:Â Policy in Motion: Navigating the Intersection of Public Policy and Autonomous Vehicle Innovation
5:30-7:00 - Networking
Emerging AI startups present their latest breakthroughs and demo their products.
Session Details
Explore diverse perspectives from industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers shaping the AI landscape in Seattle.
Opening Sessions
The Abundance State: Washington's Chance to Lead the AI Future
Washington has the compute, the capital, the talent, and — for now — the policy window. This session makes the case for an abundance agenda: what the state has to get right on energy, permitting, workforce, and investment if it wants to lead the AI economy rather than follow it. Expect a candid look at where Washington's advantages are real, where they're eroding, and what decisions in the next two years will determine which way it goes.
Moderator:Â
Randa Minkarah
Chief Operating Executive, WTIA
Opener:Â
-
Gov. Chris Gregoire
CEO, Challenge SeattleÂ
Speakers:Â
-
Joe Nguyễn
President & CEO, Seattle Metro Chamber -
Beau Perschbacher
Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Washington Governor Bob Ferguson -
Mattie Zazueta
Global Affairs, OpenAI
Waymo Keynote:Â Policy in Motion: Navigating the Intersection of Public Policy and Autonomous Vehicle Innovation
Autonomous vehicles moved from demo to daily reality faster than most people expected, and Seattle is watching it arrive. A look at what it takes to deploy AI in the physical world at scale — the engineering, the safety case, the regulatory work, and the years of unglamorous groundwork behind an apparently overnight arrival. A concrete answer to what AI looks like when it stops being software and starts moving through a city.
Speakers:Â
-
Annabel Chang
Director of U.S. State and Local Public Policy and Political Campaigns, Waymo
Rules for the Revolution: Shaping AI Policy Before It Shapes Us
With federal rules still taking shape, states are increasingly where AI governance gets decided. Legislators, regulators, and industry leaders on how Washington is approaching that role — what's worth addressing now, what benefits from more time, and how policy can protect the public while keeping the state a place AI companies want to build. A candid look at the tradeoffs behind every bill.
Moderator:Â
Ashley Stewart
Chief Tech Correspondent, Business Insider
Speakers:Â
-
Rep. Stephanie Barnard
Founder and Chair,
Washington Legislative Nuclear Energy Caucus -
Senator Marko Liias
Senator, Washington State Legislature -
William Bartholomew
Director of Public Policy, Microsoft -
Joe Braidwood
Founder & CEO, GLACIS Technologies