⚡ You’re going to want to hear these lightning talks
More Lightning Talks at SOTN ’26 — and this round tackles some of the most urgent questions in tech policy right now.
Are Public Utility Commissions becoming the quiet regulators of AI infrastructure? How should AI “memory” be governed? Why should safety tools be open-sourced? What new cybersecurity risks come from AI agents that act on our behalf? And before any of that — what definition of “AI” should policymakers even be using?
We’re thrilled to announce our second round of Lightning Talk speakers, selected from over 100 proposals. Take a look at who’s presenting below.
State of the Net is on Monday, February 9th. Register now!
Round 2: SOTN 2026 Lightning Talk Lineup
Open Sourcing Safety: Why The Internet Needs Shared Tools, Not Silos
Naren Koneru
Vice President of Engineering, Trust & Safety
Roblox
AI Memory as a Governance Surface: Prioritizing User Privacy and Control
Ruchika Joshi
AI Governance Fellow
Center for Democracy and Technology
Cybersecurity for AI that Acts: Agents and vulnerability management
Heather West
Fellow
Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law
The Hidden Regulators: Public Utility Commissions and AI Governance
Scott Babwah Brennen
Director
NYU Center on Technology Policy
Defining Technologies: Which Definition of AI Should Policymakers Use?
Nick Garcia
Editor
Defining Technologies of Our Time
Senior Policy Council
Public Knowledge