Bett UK 2027 is delighted to announce that Professor Michael Wooldridge, one of the world's leading authorities on artificial intelligence, will take to The Arena stage for an exclusive keynote exploring how AI is reshaping education at every level.

As Ashall Professor of the Foundations of AI at the University of Oxford, Professor Wooldridge has spent more than 35 years researching the field. He has published over 500 scientific papers and ten books on AI, translated into nine languages and is President-Elect of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. He also serves as co-editor-in-chief of Artificial Intelligence, the leading international journal in the field.

An award-winning communicator, Professor Wooldridge is renowned for making complex ideas about AI accessible to broad audiences. In 2023, he delivered the prestigious Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, broadcast by the BBC to more than a million viewers and in 2025 he received the Royal Society's Faraday Prize for excellence in science communication. He regularly advises governments, policymakers and industry leaders on the opportunities and risks of AI, and served as Specialist Advisor to the UK House of Lords inquiry on large language models and generative AI.

In this thought-provoking session, Professor Wooldridge will draw on his extensive research and experience at the forefront of AI development to examine the technologies driving this change. He will explore the opportunities AI creates for students, educators and institutions, while addressing the ethical, societal and pedagogical questions that accompany its growing influence.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into classrooms, universities and lifelong learning environments, educators face important questions. How should teaching and learning evolve? What skills will future learners need to thrive? And how can we ensure that AI enhances educational outcomes rather than undermines them?

Join Professor Wooldridge in the Arena to explore these questions and gain insights from one of the world's foremost AI experts. Drawing on decades of research, policy experience and engagement with global audiences, he will unpack the realities behind the technology, examine its implications for education, and offer a clear-eyed view of what comes next. For anyone navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI in education, this is a session not to be missed.

Session details

Location: Bett UK 2027 - The Arena
Timings: Thursday 21 January 2027 at 09:30 to 10:15

Registration for Bett UK 2027 is now live and educators can secure their FREE ticket today to be first in line to join this powerful session. This is just the start of our amazing agenda, keep your eyes peeled for even more announcements.