Dr. Aria Venn
Principal Research Scientist · Meridian AI Lab
PROGRAM FORMAT
STAGE_
BIG IDEAS. SHARED OPENLY.
A place for research, perspectives, explainers and conversations that move the room forward.
LISTEN_OPEN AUDIENCE_HYBRID_
IDEA_
ROOM_
QUESTIONS_
CONNECTIONS_
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT_
WHY IT MATTERS
SOME IDEASNEED THEWHOLE ROOM_
A stage puts one idea in front of everyone at once. What starts as one person's thinking becomes something the whole room can carry out of it and argue with afterwards.
SHARE_
Break ideas out of closed loops. Bring fresh thinking to a wider audience.
OPEN_
More perspectives. Stronger ideas.
CONTINUE_
A conversation today. A fuller tomorrow.
BIG IDEASSPOKENOUT LOUD
SHARE_
Break ideas out of closed loops. Bring fresh thinking to a wider audience.
OPEN_
More perspectives. Stronger ideas.
CONTINUE_
A conversation today. A fuller tomorrow.
WHAT REACHES THE STAGE?
WHAT REACHES THE STAGE?_
From early research to real-world case studies, STAGE_ brings a wide range of ideas to a wider audience.
IDEA_
A perspective nobody in the room has heard before.
RESEARCH_
Early findings, explained plainly,
long before the paper is even finished.
EXPLAINER_
A hard topic broken down step by step,
until anyone in the room can follow it.
CASE STUDY_
What actually happened, in detail,
including the parts that didn't go to plan.
CONVERSATION_
Two people who see it differently,
working it out in front of everyone.
DEBATE_
A real disagreement, argued honestly,
instead of quietly avoided on stage.
UPCOMING STAGE SESSIONS
UPCOMING STAGE SESSIONS_
Talks, research, explainers and conversations from upcoming HATCon events.
SAMPLE PROGRAM — sessions are published as each city confirms
5 sessions shown
10:00
NOV 14
What changes when agents act on real systems: permissions, audit trails and the evaluation work that has to happen before autonomy does.
HATCon BengaluruTALK + Q&A
11:30
NOV 14
BLOCKCHAINWhich on-chain systems made it past the pilot, what they replaced, and the operational costs nobody put in the deck.
HATCon BengaluruSOLO TALK
14:00
NOV 14
AIA conversation on authorship, credit and the policy questions that arrive once creative tools stop being assistants.
HATCon BengaluruCONVERSATION
16:00
NOV 14
CYBERSecurity founders and policy people on disclosure rules, liability and what a workable regime looks like from both sides.
HATCon BengaluruPANEL
11:00
NOV 15
FRONTIERWhere photonic hardware actually is today, what error correction still costs, and which timelines to stop believing.
HATCon New DelhiSOLO TALK
DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHARE ON STAGE
DIFFERENT WAYSTO SHARE ON STAGE_
Same goal. A more open tomorrow. The format just depends on how the idea wants to be shared.
SOLO TALK_
A single perspective dives deep. One speaker, one hour, no interruptions.
CONVERSATION_
FOUR DEPTHS. ONE STAGE.
FOUR DEPTHS.ONE STAGE_
Different domains. A fuller conversation. Four fields, each taken to its own depth, in one room.
AI_
129 SESSIONS · 37% OF THE PROGRAMME
Systems that reason, act and build alongside us.
- Agents
- safety
- creativity
Related circle: Agentic AI
CYBER_
92 SESSIONS · 26% OF THE PROGRAMME
Defending the systems the world now runs on.
- Security
- privacy
- resilience
Related circle: AI Security
BLOCKCHAIN_
76 SESSIONS · 22% OF THE PROGRAMME
Trust, identity and value as programmable primitives.
- Infra
- real world
- adoption
Related circle: Zero Knowledge
PEOPLE ON STAGE
PEOPLE ON STAGE_
The most exciting breakthroughs happen when different perspectives meet in the same room.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO SHAPE
COME IN WITH A QUESTION_
Better questions lead to better conversations.
AIDEBATE_
How can we ensure AI agents remain aligned with human values?
3H AGO
BLOCKCHAINTHREAD_
What real use cases are driving blockchain adoption this year?
1D AGO
CYBERDEBATE_
How do we balance innovation with security in an AI-first world?
6H AGO
FRONTIERTHREAD_
Which frontier technology is closest to leaving the lab?
2D AGOTHE IDEA SHOULDN'T END HERE
THE IDEA SHOULDN'T END HERE_
From the stage to a wider impact.
GO DEEPER FROM HERE
GO DEEPER FROM HERE_
Six formats. A bigger picture.
HAVE AN IDEA WORTH SHARING?
Propose a session for HATCon_
Share your perspective with a global audience.
We're looking for bold ideas, real experience and fresh perspectives.
PROPOSE A SESSION_CFP OPENING SOON_
- ClarityOne idea, stated plainly for the whole room.
HATCON_
THE NEXT BIG IDEASTARTS WITH SOMEONE SHARING IT_
MORE PEOPLE.BETTER IDEAS.A BRIGHTER TOMORROW.