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MEET OF OUR 2026 SPEAKERS
MARIETJE SCHAAKE
Fellow at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center and at the Institute for Human-Centered AI
Marietje Schaake is a Fellow at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center and at the Institute for Human-Centered AI. She is a columnist for the Financial Times and serves on a number of not-for-profit Boards as well as the UN's High Level Advisory Body on AI. Between 2009-2019 she served as a Member of European Parliament where she worked on trade-, foreign- and tech policy. She is the author of The Tech Coup.
Marietje Schaake is a Fellow at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center and at the Institute for Human-Centered AI. She is a columnist for the Financial Times and serves on a number of not-for-profit Boards as well as the UN's High Level Advisory Body on AI. Between 2009-2019 she served as a Member of European Parliament where she worked on trade-, foreign- and tech policy. She is the author of The Tech Coup.
DRIES DEPOORTER
Artist that handles themes as privacy, artificial intelligence, surveillance & social media
Belgian creative technologist and artist Dries Depoorter, based in Ghent, creates thought-provoking work about technology, surveillance, AI and social media in a playful way that makes people laugh while delivering serious messages in an accessible way. His projects explore digital culture that can inspire marketers: privacy challenges, artificial intelligence applications, surveillance and authentic social media projects. With his unique background in electronics and digital innovation, Dries has become a voice for forward-thinking brands and marketing professionals looking to navigate today's complex digital landscape. His artistic approach can directly inspire brands to think differently and develop original marketing concepts that stand out. Through his work, Dries demonstrates how combining creativity with technological insight creates viral moments. His award-winning "Die With Me" app, accessible only when a user's phone battery drops below 5%, demonstrates how scarcity and unique user experiences can create powerful engagement. On Black Friday, he doubles the price of his app instead of offering discounts, showing brands how breaking marketing rules can create attention. In his viral project "The Follower," Dries leverages open cameras and AI to reveal the reality behind curated Instagram moments—offering marketers an unfiltered look at consumer behavior and content creation. Meanwhile, "The Flemish Scrollers" uses AI to automatically identify politicians using smartphones during parliamentary sessions, highlighting how technology can create accountability and transparency in public spaces. Dries has exhibited at prestigious venues including the Barbican in London, Art Basel, Mutek Festival in Montreal,ZKM, Bozar, WIRED and Ars Electronica. As a speaker, he's shared insights with innovative organizations including TEDx, MoMA, SXSW, Chanel, Adidas, Samsung, Deloitte, KBC and Adobe.
Belgian creative technologist and artist Dries Depoorter, based in Ghent, creates thought-provoking work about technology, surveillance, AI and social media in a playful way that makes people laugh while delivering serious messages in an accessible way. His projects explore digital culture that can inspire marketers: privacy challenges, artificial intelligence applications, surveillance and authentic social media projects. With his unique background in electronics and digital innovation, Dries has become a voice for forward-thinking brands and marketing professionals looking to navigate today's complex digital landscape. His artistic approach can directly inspire brands to think differently and develop original marketing concepts that stand out. Through his work, Dries demonstrates how combining creativity with technological insight creates viral moments. His award-winning "Die With Me" app, accessible only when a user's phone battery drops below 5%, demonstrates how scarcity and unique user experiences can create powerful engagement. On Black Friday, he doubles the price of his app instead of offering discounts, showing brands how breaking marketing rules can create attention. In his viral project "The Follower," Dries leverages open cameras and AI to reveal the reality behind curated Instagram moments—offering marketers an unfiltered look at consumer behavior and content creation. Meanwhile, "The Flemish Scrollers" uses AI to automatically identify politicians using smartphones during parliamentary sessions, highlighting how technology can create accountability and transparency in public spaces. Dries has exhibited at prestigious venues including the Barbican in London, Art Basel, Mutek Festival in Montreal,ZKM, Bozar, WIRED and Ars Electronica. As a speaker, he's shared insights with innovative organizations including TEDx, MoMA, SXSW, Chanel, Adidas, Samsung, Deloitte, KBC and Adobe.
BRITTA VAN BEERS
Professor of Biolaw and Bioethics
Britta van Beers is professor of Biolaw and Bioethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Law, Department of Legal Theory. As a lawyer and philosopher, she teaches and writes about the legal–philosophical aspects of the governance of emerging technologies. She is particularly intrigued by the legal and philosophical meaning(s) of concepts such as personhood, humanity and dignity against the backdrop of developments in biotechnology, neurotechnology and AI.
Britta van Beers is professor of Biolaw and Bioethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Law, Department of Legal Theory. As a lawyer and philosopher, she teaches and writes about the legal–philosophical aspects of the governance of emerging technologies. She is particularly intrigued by the legal and philosophical meaning(s) of concepts such as personhood, humanity and dignity against the backdrop of developments in biotechnology, neurotechnology and AI.
GEORGE STRAKHOV
Agent Midwife / Creative Technologist
George Strakhov
- Creative Technologist / Agent Midwife
- Multi-Gold-Lion winning Creative Strategist
- 15+ years in Global Agencies across 3 continents
- Building AI agents since 2022
- Collaborator with Oxford University on Agent Alignment
- Founder @ move38: the intelligence scaling company
George is what would happen if you put an award-winning creative strategist, an expert midnight hacker and a jazz musician in a bottle and shake well. Oh, and don’t forget to add 18 years of global business experience, angel investing, and a good eye for design.
George Strakhov
- Creative Technologist / Agent Midwife
- Multi-Gold-Lion winning Creative Strategist
- 15+ years in Global Agencies across 3 continents
- Building AI agents since 2022
- Collaborator with Oxford University on Agent Alignment
- Founder @ move38: the intelligence scaling company
George is what would happen if you put an award-winning creative strategist, an expert midnight hacker and a jazz musician in a bottle and shake well. Oh, and don’t forget to add 18 years of global business experience, angel investing, and a good eye for design.
MARIJN MARCUS
AI and OSINT expert and Managing Data Scientist
Marijn Markus is an AI and OSINT expert and Managing Data Scientist with more than ten years of experience at the intersection of data, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.
At Brave New World, he will take the audience into the reality of the modern battlefield: an increasingly inhuman environment where drones, AI systems, electronic warfare, and autonomous technologies play an ever-growing role. Drawing on examples from the war in Ukraine, he will demonstrate how far the technological advantages of both Ukraine and Russia extend, and what lessons Western nations can learn from them.
While much of the attention is focused on hardware, Marijn's primary focus is on the software behind the battlefield. From disinformation campaigns and AI-driven influence operations to the impact of algorithms on social media, our societies, and even our children, he will show how the digital front has become just as important as the physical one.
Because what appears to be cybercrime on the surface often turns out to be cyber warfare underneath. Behind bot networks, influence campaigns, and viral disinformation lie the strategic interests of states and other power blocs. Understanding this digital battlefield is therefore no longer relevant only to military leaders and policymakers, but to anyone who wants to understand how technology is shaping our world.
Marijn Markus is an AI and OSINT expert and Managing Data Scientist with more than ten years of experience at the intersection of data, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.
At Brave New World, he will take the audience into the reality of the modern battlefield: an increasingly inhuman environment where drones, AI systems, electronic warfare, and autonomous technologies play an ever-growing role. Drawing on examples from the war in Ukraine, he will demonstrate how far the technological advantages of both Ukraine and Russia extend, and what lessons Western nations can learn from them.
While much of the attention is focused on hardware, Marijn's primary focus is on the software behind the battlefield. From disinformation campaigns and AI-driven influence operations to the impact of algorithms on social media, our societies, and even our children, he will show how the digital front has become just as important as the physical one.
Because what appears to be cybercrime on the surface often turns out to be cyber warfare underneath. Behind bot networks, influence campaigns, and viral disinformation lie the strategic interests of states and other power blocs. Understanding this digital battlefield is therefore no longer relevant only to military leaders and policymakers, but to anyone who wants to understand how technology is shaping our world.
IVO DE NOOIJER
Lt Col Royal Netherlands Air Force, scenario and wargame designer
Ivo de Nooijer designs scenarios and wargames at the Multi Domain Wargame Education Centre (MDWEC) of the Netherlands Defence Academy. Drawing on backgrounds in history, law and biopharmaceutical sciences, he works on scenario's which explore how artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and drone warfare are reshaping conflict.
His work focuses on the interaction between the physical, virtual and cognitive dimensions of modern competition and conflict. Through wargaming and scenario design, he investigates how emerging technologies influence human decision-making in an increasingly complex world.
Ivo de Nooijer designs scenarios and wargames at the Multi Domain Wargame Education Centre (MDWEC) of the Netherlands Defence Academy. Drawing on backgrounds in history, law and biopharmaceutical sciences, he works on scenario's which explore how artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and drone warfare are reshaping conflict.
His work focuses on the interaction between the physical, virtual and cognitive dimensions of modern competition and conflict. Through wargaming and scenario design, he investigates how emerging technologies influence human decision-making in an increasingly complex world.
MEET OF OUR PREVIOUS SPEAKERS
MORGANE BILLUART
WRITER AND VISUAL ARTIST, FOUNDER SUBSIGHT
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