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Annie Bot vs The Tech Bros: science fiction and AI origin stories
Robot, Grok, Cyberspace, the Metaverse: all terms originating from science fiction that now run manifest in the latest headlines from Silicon Valley.
In a world where machine learning is an everyday exponential, what are we teaching ourselves?
Join Sierra Greer, award-winning author of Annie Bot, and our expert panel of speakers to explore science fiction’s influence on modern tech culture and the role of science communication in bridging the gap between STEM and society.
This event is co-programmed by the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the Arthur C. Clarke Award science fiction book of the year, named for writer, futurist, and King’s College London alum, Sir Arthur C. Clarke.
Annie Bot vs The Tech Bros: science fiction and AI origin stories
13:00 – 14:00 | Thursday, 2 October 2025
Online
Sierre Greer, Lauren Beukes, Kate Devlin, Jen Wong and Tom Hunter. Hosted by the Arthur C Clarke Award.
Award-winning author Sierra Greer and an expert panel of speakers explore science fiction’s influence on modern tech culture.
Speakers/Authors
Sierra Greer is the 2025 winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for UK science fiction book of the year for her novel Annie Bot. A former high school English teacher, she writes about the future from her home in rural Connecticut.
Lauren Beukes is the award-winning South African author of six novels, a short story collection and NYT-best-selling graphic novels, including Zoo City which won the Arthur C Clarke Award and the Kitschies Red Tentacle, The Shining Girls, now a major AppleTV show with Elisabeth Moss, and, most recently, the reality-bending mother-daughter-dreamworm novel, Bridge. Her work has been translated into 25 languages and she’s also worked in kids animation, TV scriptwriting and directed an award-winning documentary.
Kate Devlin is Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Society in the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London and Chair-Director of the Digital Futures Institute.
Jen Wong is Head of Programming at Science Gallery London, a space to grow new ideas across art, science and health. As a curator, producer and cultural programmer, Jen brings researchers, artists and audiences together to create meaningful encounters at the intersection of art, science and technology.
Tom Hunter, Director of the Arthur C. Clarke Award.