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CHICAGO—June 2, 2025—The (ID) at Illinois Institute of Technology (��ñ��) welcomed leading voices in artificial intelligence, design, technology, and business to its on May 28–30, 2025. The biennial summit convened more than 150 participants for a three-day exchange focused on how to responsibly shape the future of AI.

Held at ��ñ��’s Mies campus in Chicago’s South Side Bronzeville neighborhood, the Shapeshift Global Summit featured keynotes and panelists from organizations such as Adobe, Amazon, Microsoft, Waymo, WhatsApp, and more. Global thought leaders from the creative, technology, and business communities discussed the implications of AI on design and human culture.

“In a moment when AI is evolving faster than social norms and policy frameworks, the Shapeshift summit brought together key voices—and encouraged attendees to pause, reflect, and act with purpose as we move at breakneck speed to create new human-AI systems,” says ID Dean . “Design is uniquely positioned to navigate this complexity. As our Summit demonstrated, we believe that the best impacts from AI will be felt when we keep people at the center. We have a responsibility to steer the technology toward human-centered outcomes, and consider time to value as well as time to market.”

“At Shapeshift, we’re not just talking about responsible AI—we’re actively shaping what it means,” says Summit co-host , advisor to the dean and former corporate vice president of design at Microsoft. “By bringing together voices from across disciplines, industries, and geographies, we’re building a shared vocabulary for designing technologies that reflect human values. It’s not enough to scale AI: We need to scale trust, empathy, and responsibility alongside it.”

As part of its commitment to extending the conversation beyond the event itself, ID is partnering with the podcast Design As by Design Observer to produce a special series of episodes on Responsible AI in the fall. The podcast team conducted on-site interviews with select Shapeshift speakers and attendees, offering deeper insights into the ideas and provocations shared during the Summit. A curated selection of these interviews and related content will be released in the coming weeks. Full recordings of keynotes, panels, and breakout sessions, however, will be made available exclusively to registered participants.

The 2025 edition of Shapeshift unfolded over three days, each exploring a distinct theme. With programming intentionally structured to bridge industry, public service, and academia, the Summit created space for visionary thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and human-centered exploration.

Day One—Immersion offered participants a firsthand look at how AI is already influencing life through a curated series of site visits across Chicago. Attendees learned about everything from Open Communities’ legal case combatting AI-generated housing discrimination at the newly opened National Public Housing Museum to Salesforce’s AI-powered philanthropy lab. These on-the-ground experiences, capped by a private projection viewing of the largest permanent digital art platform in the world at the Merchandise Mart, grounded the Summit’s discussions in real-world impact.

Day Two—AI + Systems addressed how artificial intelligence is transforming civic infrastructure, public services, and global business. Sessions ranged from Rohit Prasad’s (AVP & Head Scientist of Artificial General Intelligence, Amazon) keynote on professional futures in the age of AGI to panels on autonomous mobility, media misinformation, and the global implementation of responsible AI practices. Corporate leaders from Microsoft, WhatsApp, SAP, and Grainger shared how their organizations are building systems that prioritize long-term social value, not just short-term gain.

Day Three—AI + Humans explored artificial intelligence’s influence on individual experience, well-being, and identity. Speakers discussed the ethical obligations of tech companies, the role of AI in mental health, and how the design of emerging tools can enhance—or disrupt—human relationships. The day concluded with a lively interactive performance by Chicago’s world-famous improv theater The Second City, who synthesized Summit takeaways through comedy—providing an unexpected but apt reflection on the very human challenges of navigating a technological age.

Together, these three days reflected Shapeshift’s core belief: that the future of AI isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a design problem. More importantly, it’s a collective one that crosses disciplines and industries. The Summit brought together a global network of professionals committed to shaping a future where AI is not only powerful but principled.

Quotes from Speakers and Panelists

“We are entering a new phase of human-AI collaboration. The question is no longer what AI is capable of, but how we can harness it to benefit everyone. Events like Shapeshift are essential for bringing together diverse thinkers who can imagine—and build—a future where AI uplifts human potential and where companies create long-term value for customers, employees, and society.”

— (M.S. EE ’99),
SVP and Head Scientist, Artificial General Intelligence at Amazon

“We have the capability to build the city of the future, today. The Shapeshift Summit brought together global innovators to explore how artificial intelligence can be a tool for better stewardship and resilient communities. It’s not just about deploying AI and other advanced technologies: It’s about designing a future as part of a broader transformation that touches infrastructure, governance, talent, and society.”

—,
Deputy CEO and COO of Dubai Future Foundation, UAE

“Designing for billions of users worldwide means every decision counts. At Shapeshift, I was excited to share insights from WhatsApp on building generative AI experiences that prioritize simplicity, usefulness, and human-centered design. The Summit reinforced our collective responsibility to design with impact in mind, serving users globally.”

—,
Director, Head of Consumer Design at WhatsApp

“Earning trust is the foundation of designing something as complex and impactful as a fully autonomous ride-hailing service. Shapeshift created a space to examine how AI-driven technologies intersect with public infrastructure, safety, and society—reminding us all that AI is more than just a technological or engineering challenge. I was grateful to add my voice and to hear others in these crucial conversations about human-centered design.”

— (M.Des. ’01)
Director, Head of User Experience at Waymo

“AI should expand possibility, not replicate inequality. At Shapeshift, we explored how policy, philanthropy, and design can converge to ensure emerging technologies serve the public interest. Inclusion and fairness must be engineered into the systems we build, not treated as an afterthought. It was refreshing for an AI summit to explore how we may shape a responsible future centered on shared power, prosperity, and possibility.”

—,
Senior Vice President of Programs and Policy at Omidyar Network

“Designing with AI means designing with humans in mind. At Shapeshift, we considered how companies are exploring the potential of artificial intelligence and reflected on what it takes to center human empowerment in tools that reach billions. The Summit reminded us that innovation doesn’t just come from tech hubs—it grows from diverse voices and thoughtful collaboration across sectors and communities.”

—,
VP of Design for Microsoft AI and Founding Chair of the MFA in Interaction Design at SVA

“True innovation goes beyond technological advancement—it requires cultural, behavioral, and organizational transformation. What excites me about Shapeshift is how it challenges leaders to rethink how we apply AI, and how essential it is to embed ethical and moral principles from the outset. Design is vital in this journey: It fosters empathy among stakeholders, helps navigate the chaos and complexity of emerging technologies, and unifies teams around a shared purpose. I was honored to contribute to the conversation on how organizations integrate AI—not just to boost efficiency, but to drive meaningful human impact and redefine what success truly means.”

— (M.S. Strategic Design Leadership ’12),
Chief Innovation Officer at Far Eastern Group, Taiwan

Photo: TB Bardlavens, Director of Product Equity at Adobe, speaks at Shapeshift Global Summit: Responsible AI.

Illinois Institute of Technology

Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, ��ñ�� was born to liberate the power of collective difference to advance technology and innovation for all. It is the only tech-focused university in the city, and it stands at the crossroads of exploration and invention, advancing the future of Chicago and the world. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, , business, , science and human sciences, and . ��ñ�� students are guaranteed access to hands-on experiences, personalized mentorship, and job readiness through the university’s one-of-a-kind Elevate program. Its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in economic prosperity. Its faculty and alumni built the Chicago skyline. And every day in the city's living lab, ��ñ�� fuels breakthroughs that change lives. Visit iit.edu.

Institute of Design (ID)

The Institute of Design (ID) is known for introducing the world to human-centered design and systems design. We are an international resource for strategic designers, leaders, and changemakers who want to do better and face the future with a plan. Visionary László Moholy-Nagy founded ID in 1937 as The New Bauhaus. Today, from our home in Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Mies van der Rohe campus, we continue to advance the study and use of design in our world. At our Graduate School, Action Labs, and Executive Academy, we believe in serious creativity and rapid iteration—and we believe anyone can learn to use design to transform the systems that shape our lives.

Media contacts

Kristin Gecan
Assistant Dean & Senior Director of Content
Institute of Design
keschgecan@id.iit.edu

Kevin Dollear
Communications Manager
Illinois Institute of Technology
773.860.5712
kdollear@iit.edu