Under the theme “AI & Health: driving equitable and sustainable health, for all”, the two-day Forum connected entrepreneurs, investors, clinicians, researchers, academics, policymakers and technology leaders to explore not simply what artificial intelligence can do, but how innovation can translate into meaningful real-world impact.
Discussions ranged from AI safety, trust and regulation to precision health, women's health, entrepreneurship, investment and the challenges of taking new technologies from invention to adoption.
One phrase repeatedly picked up by delegates afterwards was “think pathway, not product” – reflecting a wider theme that technological innovation alone is not enough. New ideas must navigate evidence, regulation, trust, investment, clinical practice and adoption if they are ultimately to improve people's lives.
Dr Ehab Shanti, Founder of Cambridge Forum, said:
“The public is understandably apprehensive about the possible implications of generative AI. Yet the current global debate between tech evangelists and neo-Luddites is often counterproductive.
“Cambridge Forum presents a Third Way, in which we embrace technology as innovation while updating the legal, educational and social frameworks needed to ensure maximum benefit. Our ambition is to be a catalyst for a global movement where technology is harnessed as a force for good in society.
“Cambridge is the perfect place to convene these important global conversations. It is home not only to one of the world's great universities, but to a powerful technology hub and an ecosystem at the forefront of global innovation.”
Collaboration was deliberately built into the Forum experience. The event opened with an unexpected interactive drumming session, with delegates learning to find a shared rhythm together. It became an apt metaphor for a Forum in which people from different disciplines and backgrounds were encouraged to listen, exchange perspectives and find common ground.
At the Gala Dinner, High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire Francis Burkitt described Cambridge's distinctive “convening power” and the importance of creating informal “watercooler moments” from which ideas and collaborations can emerge.
That cross-pollination continued through Cambridge Forum's Institutional Matching Programme, connecting selected delegates directly with organisations across Cambridge's research and innovation ecosystem.
Entrepreneurship was another major focus. Pitch My Idea attracted 131 applications from early-stage AI and health companies, from which seven finalists were selected to pitch to an audience including UK and international investors. The programme was supported by judges and mentors drawn from Cambridge's investment, technology, legal, banking, sustainability and innovation communities.
Delegates have subsequently reported new introductions, potential collaborations and opportunities arising directly from the Forum. Pitch My Idea finalists have also begun pursuing connections made through the event, including conversations around real-world healthcare evaluation.
Throughout the Forum, the honeybee provided a recurring metaphor for collaboration. Delegates received a jar of honey, reflecting the way bees communicate, cross-pollinate and collectively create something far greater than any individual could achieve alone.
That idea will continue beyond the two-day event through The Hive, Cambridge Forum's online community, designed to enable conversations and connections formed at the Forum to develop throughout the year.
Cambridge Forum will return in 2027, when its next annual Tech for Good theme will explore AI & Entrepreneurship.
