AI Leaders from Three Regions Gather to Discuss Future of Work, Democracy, and Learning

Next week’s forum in San Francisco isn’t just another tech talk—it’s a chance to see how different parts of the world are racing to keep up with AI’s latest shift. Leaders from the Bay Area, Ukraine, and the Baltic states will meet June 26 at the Grand Hyatt to swap strategies on an AI model that doesn’t just assist humans but acts on its own. Called “agentic AI, ” this tech moves beyond answering questions; it makes decisions without constant human input—raising big questions for jobs, schools, and even how democracy works when machines start shaping information.The morning kicks off with a deep dive into how AI agents are rewiring white-collar jobs. Startup founders and investors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will argue that smaller economies can outpace giants when it comes to adopting new tools. Rather than waiting for massive budgets, these regions rely on talent, quick regulations, and tight-knit networks to push AI into daily business. By mid-morning, startups get a shot to pitch ideas directly to investors, followed by lunch where the talk turns to setting up a shared hub in San Francisco—a kind of Silicon Valley outpost for Baltic innovation. After lunch, the focus shifts to democracy. Estonia’s minister of education will explain how the country uses AI not to replace teachers but to sharpen students’ ability to think critically. A special version of ChatGPT, built just for classrooms, helps teens learn to question sources and weigh evidence instead of blindly trusting what the tech spits out. The Bay Area’s summit schools system already teaches AI skills, but the real goal is deeper: teaching students to understand AI’s limits and biases before trusting it with their future.