Bringing AI's toughest questions into focus
The Curve
October 2-4, 2026 | Berkeley, CA
A conference where thinkers, builders, and leaders grapple with AI's biggest questions.
The Curve creates space for substantive dialogue on the most contentious questions in AI — timelines, risks, economic impacts, and national security. Rather than traditional presentations, the event centers small-group conversations and one-on-one interactions, with a curated mix of participants drawn from frontier labs, startups, think tanks, government, academia, civil society, and media. Invite-only.
Speakers include:
Sriram Krishnan
Senior Policy Advisor for AI, The White House
Jack Clark
Co-founder & Head of Public Benefit, Anthropic
Lt Gen Jack Shanahan (USAF, Ret.)
Former Director, US DOD Joint AI Center, CNAS
Helen Toner
Executive Director, CSET
It felt like an event where history was happening.
— Kevin Roose
So many conferences are thoughtlessly designed or run. This was such a remarkable exception.
— Misha Glouberman
Super high quality attendees. It did not feel like an awkward Thanksgiving, but a good faith meeting of the minds.
— Nathan Labenz
Recent writing
Is AI 2027 Coming True? - by Steve Newman - Second Thoughts
The state of AI in Q2 2026, part 1
May 7, 2026 | Steve Newman
Tacit Knowledge: The Missing Factor in AI Bio Risk Assessments
Lab skills come from hands-on mentorship, not from reading the entire internet.
April 23, 2026 | Abi Olvera
The Centaur Era - by Steve Newman - Second Thoughts
The question isn't what AI can do, it's what you can do with AI
April 17, 2026 | Steve Newman
Is AI 2027 Coming True? - by Steve Newman - Second Thoughts
The state of AI in Q2 2026, part 1
May 7, 2026 | Steve Newman
Tacit Knowledge: The Missing Factor in AI Bio Risk Assessments
Lab skills come from hands-on mentorship, not from reading the entire internet.
April 23, 2026 | Abi Olvera
The Centaur Era - by Steve Newman - Second Thoughts
The question isn't what AI can do, it's what you can do with AI
April 17, 2026 | Steve Newman
Media
Breaking points
Krystal and Saagar chat with Taren about Deepfakes, Meta's salaries for AI researchers, and whether the companies building AI take transformative AI seriously.
June 11, 2025
HardFork
Kevin and Casey recount their experience at The Curve 2024.
December 6, 2024
Cognitive Revolution
Steve joings Dean Ball, Nathan Calvin, and Nathan Labenz for a debate on California's SB1047.
May 4, 2024
About us
We are a think tank that supports leaders as they navigate this high-stakes period of rapid AI advancement by bridging disciplines, convening experts, and publishing accessible analysis of AI’s toughest questions. When conflicting perspectives emerge on crucial questions, we serve as the organization you can turn to for clarity and insight.
We focus on four broad topics:
- Timelines & Capabilities: How quickly will AI development advance?
- Economic Impacts: How quickly will AI be adopted, and what impact will this have on the economy? How can we ensure AI creates broad-based economic benefits?
- Democracy & Governance: How must democratic and other key institutions adapt to the challenges and opportunities that AI brings?
- Realizing Benefits: What can we do to unlock and facilitate adoption of beneficial uses of AI?
Our founding team consists of Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, Steve Newman, and Rachel Weinberg.