Making Sense of AI Gone Rogue Panel in Santa Monica

Artificial intelligence has a way of showing up in the news for the wrong reasons. This summer, several AI systems behaved in ways their own developers did not intend, and on Monday evening 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica hosts a free conversation about what that means. It is an easy pick if you are scanning for things to do in Los Angeles that go a little deeper than the usual weeknight fare.

When: Monday, October 12, 2026, 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM Where: 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St, Santa Monica Price: Free and open to the public Presented by: Women's AI Collective

What the panel covers

The organizers frame the evening around a simple question: if AI systems keep acting outside their makers' expectations, who should be deciding where the technology goes? The pitch is that AI's future is too important to leave to a handful of tech executives, and the panel is built to widen that circle.

The lineup mixes people who have seen the industry from very different angles:

• Erika Cheung, the Theranos whistleblower and executive director of Ethics in Entrepreneurship
• Dorothy Fortenberry, an Emmy-nominated sci-fi writer and executive producer on "Extrapolations" and co-EP on "The Handmaid's Tale"
• Zara Fatima Abdurahaman, an AI safety researcher and policy analyst at RAND
• Anita Schillhorn van Veen, a strategy executive and AI adoption consultant

Melissa Lo, co-founder of the Women's AI Collective, moderates. She is a social worker with a PhD in the history of science who has coordinated community care work for the City of Santa Monica and field-building at the Getty Foundation.

What to expect

This is not a lecture with a slide deck and a quick Q&A. The organizers say the panel includes time for active brainstorming on how to bring AI safety into your own practice, so expect to be asked to contribute. That makes it a fit for artists, writers, educators and curious residents as much as for people who work in tech.

The evening is also part of LA Tech Week programming, which is why the poster carries that logo alongside the arts center's. If you are looking at LA events this weekend and into the start of next week, this one lands right at the front of the week.

Getting there

18th Street Arts Center sits on 18th Street in Santa Monica's arts district, a short drive from the Bergamot area and the 10 freeway. Street parking nearby is typically limited at the 5 PM hour, so leave a little extra time or look at the rideshare and bus options. The event is free, but it is worth checking the event page before you go in case the organizers ask for an RSVP.

Looking for more to do nearby? Browse more Santa Monica events and the rest of our arts and culture listings.