The 2026 West Coast Leadership Dialogue (WCLD), Where AI Meets Humanity, convened in San Diego and addressed the profound challenges and opportunities presented by a rapidly expanding AI industry.
The Leadership Dialogue included leaders from technology, defence, education, research, and business and engaged them on the questions around practical AI application. Sessions focussed on a range of topics such as AI infrastructure, automation, defence, health, and climate science, as well as leaders’ hopes, questions, and concerns surrounding the future of AI.
Throughout the week, delegates visited institutions at the forefront of AI application and had first-hand access to the technological innovations dramatically altering the way we live and work. These included visits to the University of California San Diego, the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Naval Information Warfare Center, and General Atomics.
The WCLD highlighted the critical nature of AI discourse and paved the way for collective problem-solving and innovation.
Please enjoy some photos captured throughout the 2026 West Coast Leadership Dialogue.
