San Francisco – June 15, 2026

The AI Summit 2027 in Geneva will bring together a cohort of global leaders, researchers, and civil society actors to shape the trajectory of AI governance worldwide. Substantial participation in these conversations demands firsthand fluency with the environments where foundational models are being researched, built, deployed.

Geneva Loading… is designed to close this gap. By immersing selected participants from Switzerland in the heart of Silicon Valley’s AI ecosystem, the program exposes the group to a deliberately diverse range of actors, from frontier AI labs, to civil society organizations, independent researchers, and critical voices within the field.

Through site visits, roundtables, and direct interpersonal exchanges, participants will engage with the ecosystem across perspectives, from those accelerating AI design and development to those scrutinizing its risks, harms, and societal impact. The group will encounter the tensions, trade-offs, and lived realities. This exposure will equip the cohort to engage as informed, independent, and trusted voices at the AI Summit and beyond.

The program is a collaboration between Swissnex in San Francisco and Mercator Foundation Switzerland.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

1. Preparatory session (1 Day in Switzerland, Sept. 2026)

Community building, shared knowledge development, and cohort onboarding

A full day, first with a cohort-only workshop session bringing the newly formed group together for introductions, framing, and shared knowledge development; followed by an evening program open to the public featuring talks and networking for the broader Swiss digitalization ecosystem.

2. Silicon Valley Immersion (San Francisco, Nov. 16-20, 2026)

Hosted at Swissnex in San Francisco: a structured week with site visits, roundtables, and workshops

Visits to leading AI labs and companies. Roundtables that will bring participants into direct conversation with researchers, investors, civil society, and critical voices within the field. Workshops on governance, accountability, and AI futures will translate these encounters into frameworks that participants can carry into their own work and onto Geneva.

3. AI Summit (Geneva, June 2027)

Participants will help shape the conversation at a side event at the AI Summit 2027 in Geneva.

Simultaneously, each participant is expected to produce at least one public-facing output connected to the AI Summit or the challenges of global AI governance: a policy brief, a white paper, an article or another widely published media format contributing to the public debate.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

We are looking for Swiss-based thought leaders, AI practitioners, journalists, experts, and researchers who are actively taking part in the public discourse, policy, or knowledge production of AI in Switzerland:

• Academics and researchers: Scholars in AI, ethics, economics, law, political science, or related fields with a stake in shaping governance debates
• Civil society leaders: NGO Director/ Manager, policy leaders, and think tank researchers engaging with AI accountability, digital rights, or technology governance
• Journalists and media: editors and journalists covering technology, science, or policy for Swiss and European audiences
• Other profiles: If you don’t fit neatly into any of the categories above but believe your perspective, position, or work is relevant to the Swiss or global AI debate, we want to hear from you. Diverse and unexpected voices are part of what makes this program valuable

PARTICIPATION CRITERIA

• Based in Switzerland, with a Swiss affiliation
• Active role and proven track record in shaping or communicating public discourse, policy, or knowledge production
• Committed to producing a concrete output tied to the AI Summit 2027 (a policy brief, a white paper, an article or another widely published media format contributing to the public debate)
• Openness to cross-sector perspectives and intellectual independence
• Fluent in English

BENEFITS FOR SELECTED PARTICIPANTS

• First-hand AI exposure: direct access to the labs, companies, and Institutions active in the global AI landscape
• Network and credibility: new connections across Silicon Valley, Swiss academia, media, and civil society
• Participants will shape the conversation at an official side event of the AI Summit 2027 in Geneva.
• Subsidy: CHF 2’000 per participant to cover travel and accommodation for the San Francisco immersion week for most participants. (Additional support available for NGO representatives; eligibility criteria apply).

SELECTION PROCESS

Participants will be selected based on thematic relevance, network reach and influence in Switzerland, openness to cross-sector perspectives, and commitment to the full program including feasibility of publishing concrete outputs.

The jury includes representatives from Swissnex, the Mercator Foundation Switzerland, and advisors from partner organizations. We strive for diversity among participants in terms of background, gender, discipline, and perspective.

KEY DATES

Application Deadline: July 12, 2026
Preparatory Session: September 2026 in Switzerland; Exact date tbd
Program Dates: November 16–20, 2026, San Francisco
AI Summit: Q2 2027, Geneva

The selected applicants will be notified in Mid August 2026

CONTACT

Please contact Maulde Cuérel, AI & Tech Foresight Program Manager, for any questions.