AICON Returns for Its Second Year, Championing "AI for Everyone"

Singapore's annual AI festival returns on 8 and 9 October 2026, bringing together government, industry, educators and innovators to advance AI literacy and fluency, innovation and collaboration.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AICON 2026, Asia's human-first AI festival, returns on 8 and 9 October 2026 at *SCAPE Singapore, 2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978. Now in its second year and held under the theme "AI for Everyone", the festival is supported by Tesla, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute ("e2i"), Singtel and *SCAPE, among other partners, and is held in support of the national Digital for Life movement. Tickets are on sale now at www.aicon.show.

The inaugural edition drew more than 5,000 attendees from over 10 countries. The second edition changes the format rather than the size of the room. Where 2025 centred on talks and showcases, 2026 is built around participation: visitors sit down at a screen, use the tools and leave with something they co-create with AI. Four pillars run through both days: Learn, Create, Connect and Play.

"AI is changing the way we work and live, but many people are still unsure where to begin. AICON was created to make AI more accessible, practical and relevant, helping people better understand what's possible and giving them the confidence to apply it in ways that make a real difference in their work and everyday lives," says Jayce Tham, Co-Founder of AICON and CEO of CreativesAtWork.

Programme

Day one opens on the main stage with "AI for Humanity: Technology, Commercialisation and Governance", a forum on who AI is actually for. Sessions cover frontier technology, human cognition and education, the future of jobs and careers, corporate governance and responsible investment. Hands-on workshops run alongside it throughout the day, from vibe coding with Gemini to AI filmmaking with Singapore Polytechnic. Day one closes with Creator Jam Night at the Ground Theatre and the WonderClip x GenTube AI Film Festival award ceremony.

Day two, 'AI for Everyone: Create, Play, Community', shifts focus from big-picture concepts to hands-on action. Attendees will explore the practical potential of AI in their daily lives, with sessions covering everything from AI in education and business-building for SMEs, to the creator economy and future-gazing into next-generation tech. Throughout the day, visitors can experience live product demonstrations in the AI Demo Theatre and discover the projects born from the festival's workshops. A youth strand runs through the day, including a session on what young people need to know about AI and an Ask Me Anything panel pairing three youth leaders with three AI experts.

The festival features a strong Korean contingent across both days. Marking their second year, Kentertech Hub returns to showcase the latest advancements in Korean content creation technology. The programme highlights a masterclass in AI filmmaking and the 'K-Global × K-EnterTech Conference @ AICON' panel discussion. Additionally, Singapore Polytechnic's Jeffrey Xu, fresh from his grand prize victory at the ChungKang International AI Genre Film Festival, will present a dedicated session on the future of AI cinema.

At the centre of both days are hands-on sessions, including Singtel's AI.dea Discovery Workshop, developed in collaboration with SIM Academy, and e2i's Emerging Skills, Emerging Jobs Zone, a conversation-led learning space featuring interactive discussions, live demonstrations, and facilitated dialogues that help workers understand AI, experience AI firsthand, and explore its applications in their current roles and future careers. Running through both days is a thread on responsible AI, shaped with the Artificial Intelligence International Institute under its AI for Humanity framework and led by AICON co-founder Dr James Ong.

AI for Humanity Impact Forum @ AICON 2026

The Artificial Intelligence International Institute brings its AI for Humanity Impact Forum to AICON on 8 October, anchoring the festival's main stage programme.

AIII is an independent think tank founded in 2017 by Dr James Ong, who is also a co-founder of AICON. It works on sustainable AI through research, policy, education and industry collaboration, and has taken the AI for Humanity agenda to the United Nations, ASEAN, Davos, SXSW and the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). In July, AIII was the executive organiser of a WAIC forum in Shanghai on sustainable computing, co-organised with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and opened by the UNDP Administrator. AIII has campaigned for AI for Humanity to be recognised as a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.

Voices from AICON

"AI literacy is no longer optional, and it is not only a technologist's concern. Parents, educators and business leaders all need to understand how these systems work, how to govern them and how to manage their risks," says Dr James Ong, Co-Founder of AICON, Founder of the Artificial Intelligence International Institute and co-author of AI for Humanity. "That is the foundation of AI for Humanity, and it is why AICON exists."

"Most people's first reaction to AI is still anxiety, and you cannot lecture anyone out of that," says Jaze Phua, Co-Founder of AICON and Dear.AI, and CEO of Virality Group. "You hand them a tool, they make something in ten minutes, and the fear turns into curiosity. That is the whole festival in one sentence."

Partners

AICON 2026 is in support of the national Digital for Life movement, together with partners like e2i, Singtel, Design Singapore, ASUS, Alibaba, *SCAPE, Action Community for Entrepreneurship, Tesla, Kentertech Hub and the Artificial Intelligence International Institute, alongside a growing network of community and ecosystem partners. Institutes of higher learning taking part include Singapore Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Further partners will be announced.

Tickets & Access

Tickets are on sale now at www.aicon.show.

• General Admission, 2-day pass: SGD $48
• VIP, 2-day pass: SGD $98, with access to keynote sessions, workshops and talks

Workshop places are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. A festival ticket is required, and each workshop must be registered separately at www.aicon.show.

Early-bird pricing runs until 30 September 2026.

This programme is hosted on Discover, a youth platform by the National Youth Council. View the event listing at https://discover.nyc.gov.sg/events/aicon-2026-the-ai-for-everyone-festival-caw-2026-0067

SOURCE CreativesAtWork