RhetAI

SUMMIT SERIES

The biennial AlphaPersuade Summit.

Hosted in Irvine, California at The Cove @ UCI (Beall Applied Innovation), the AlphaPersuade Summit gathers rhetoricians, AI researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to set the agenda for ethical persuasive technology.

THE SECOND SUMMIT ON PERSUASION IN AI

AlphaPersuade Summit 2026

March 26, 2026
The Cove @ UCI (Beall Applied Innovation), Irvine, CA

The second convening brought the coalition together to move from diagnosis to standards — turning research on algorithmic persuasion into democratic rhetorical principles that builders and policymakers can apply.

Roger Thompson welcoming attendees to AlphaPersuade Summit 2026 at UCI Beall Applied Innovation
Opening welcome at AlphaPersuade 2.0
Uma Karmarkar speaking to the 2026 AlphaPersuade audience
Keynote session
Panelists discussing AI persuasion at AlphaPersuade Summit 2026
Plenary conversation

Welcome

  • Roger Thompson
  • Michael Thompson

Keynote speakers

  • Uma Karmarkar — UC San Diego, School of Global Policy and Strategy
  • Bob Williamson — Principal Investigator, Tübingen AI Center

Plenary roundtable

  • Casey Mock
  • Tiera Tanksley
  • Olaf Kramer
  • Moderated by Laura Lindenfeld

Sessions & panels

  • National Security, AI, and Persuasion panel
  • Research presentations from challenge teams
  • Coalition working groups

Materials & deliverables

Summaries and documents from AlphaPersuade Summit 2026. Ask us for a copy of any item below and we'll send it over.

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