AI is transforming the world around us — from the way we work and create, to how we tackle global challenges. But with its rapid rise come urgent questions. How do we harness this technology to really improve lives? What does “getting AI right” mean?
Join us for our flagship Hinton Lecture, where these questions take centre stage.
For nearly 50 years, the annual lecture has hosted some of the world’s leading voices in engineering. They’ve shared bold visions for the future and reflected on the differences being made by the latest breakthroughs. This year, we welcome James Manyika, Senior Vice President at Google-Alphabet, to deliver an unmissable talk.
James leads the tech company’s most ambitious innovations in AI, computing and sciences. His insights span the technical, the societal, and the global — making him uniquely placed to explore how we develop AI for the public good.
Artificial intelligence holds enormous promise. It’s already helping us with everyday tasks, unlocking new creative tools, and offering fresh ways to access and understand information. It could transform industries, boost public services, and accelerate progress on pressing global issues ranging from medicine to food security. But alongside these opportunities come serious questions — about accuracy, privacy, bias, and the risk of misuse. As AI systems grow more powerful, so too does the challenge of managing their real-world effects.
In this lecture, James will outline the current and future landscape of AI. He’ll reflect on how we can guide its development to benefit people and society. And he will explore how we equip engineers with the skills and mindset to shape AI responsibly, ensuring it delivers on its potential.
The event will conclude with a live audience Q&A, chaired by Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, software engineer and President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
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Attend in person at Prince Philip House, London, and be part of our intimate audience of engineers, policymakers, tech leaders and leaders of the future. The event will be followed by a short drinks reception.
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Or join us online via free live stream, and be sure not to miss this opportunity wherever you are in the world.
Register now to secure your place.
Programme*
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6.00pm |
Registration and refreshments |
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6.30pm |
Welcome address Sir John Lazar CBE FREng |
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6.35pm |
2025 Hinton Lecture James Manyika |
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7.00pm |
Q&A session via Slido |
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7.28pm |
Closing remarks |
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7.30pm |
Drinks reception |
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8.00pm |
Close of event |
Student tickets
A limited number of free student tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. A valid student ID is required if booking a student ticket, and will need to be presented upon arrival.
James Manyika
James focuses on advancing Google, Google DeepMind and Alphabet’s most ambitious innovations in AI, Computing and Science and on their potential for broad beneficial impact on people and society. He also leads Google Research, Google Labs, Learning & Sustainability, and Technology & Society.
He was Vice Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee and Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body, Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House and member US Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.
He’s a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Distinguished Fellow of Stanford’s AI Institute, and in Ethics in AI at Oxford. A Rhodes Scholar, James has DPhil, MSc and MA from Oxford in AI and robotics, mathematics, and computer science, a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe.
Sir John Lazar CBE FREng
Sir John is a software engineer and entrepreneur with experience of building and managing successful global businesses. He is Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which aims to help young people realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. He is also co-founder, General Partner, and a Limited Partner at Enza Capital, which backs founders and teams using technology to solve large and meaningful problems across Africa. He sits on the boards of multiple African technology companies and previously served as the Chair of What3words. He was awarded a CBE for services to engineering in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2016 and was knighted for services to engineering and technology in the His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours List 2025. Sir John was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and chaired the Academy’s Enterprise Committee, which supports startups and scaleups across the UK and globally through the Enterprise Hub. He has also been a member of the Academy’s Education and Skills Committee and played an active role in developing the programme of study for England’s school Computer Science curriculum. Sir John has also been a judge and mentor for the Academy’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, which trains and backs early-stage African engineering companies. He has spent many years working on tech-related non-profit initiatives in Africa, especially building “digital blacksmiths” and maker labs. He has been an active angel investor and technology start-up mentor in the UK and Africa, with more than 40 individual pre-seed/seed investments. He graduated from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar with an MSc in Computation and a DPhil in History, following an undergraduate degree in Computer Science at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Sir John was elected as President of the Royal Academy of Engineering at its 48th AGM in 2024.
Photography and filming notice
Please note that photography and filming will take place during this event. All photographs and videos will be securely stored on the Academy’s servers and used for editorial, marketing and media use by the Academy and selected press or industry media. Please let us know if you do not agree to this processing. Please refer to our General Privacy Policy for more details.
Recording notice
Please note this event will be recorded and published on the Royal Academy of Engineering website. Your video will be off and your account will be muted throughout the entire event. Only the speakers and presentations will be visible on your screen.
Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].
Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found in our building accessibility statement.
Cancellations
All cancellation requests must be received in writing via email to [email protected]. A request for cancellation (and refund) will be accepted up to Thursday 30 October 2025 at 12.00pm. Royal Academy of Engineering must make commitments to suppliers at that time and making changes will result in additional costs or penalties. If the cancellation request is received after the deadline, we cannot issue a refund.
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to building an inclusive economy that works for everyone. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’