Oxley College – The Psychology of Thriving in an AI World

Every AI breakthrough brings a wave of uncertainty. When ChatGPT accomplishes in seconds what once took hours, it’s natural to wonder about your own role and value. You’re not alone – millions of professionals are experiencing this shift, and our brains are responding to technological change with the same stress responses we evolved for physical threats.

In this transformative keynote, neuroscientist and Neuro futurist Joel Pearson reveals why AI disruption hits us so hard psychologically and, more importantly, how to transform that anxiety into your competitive advantage. Drawing from groundbreaking neuroscience research, Joel exposes why our brains interpret technological change as an existential threat – and provides science-backed strategies to rewire your response from fear to flourishing.

Joel Pearson is a Neuroscientist, Neuro Futurist, author, Speaker, Director of the Future Minds Lab, Deputy Director of Human Readiness at the UNSW AI Institute, and an ARC Future Fellow at the University of New South Wales. He initially studied art and filmmaking at the College of Fine Arts before turning to the scientific mysteries of human consciousness and the complexities of the brain. He is a prolific public speaker, writer, and world expert in Intuition, the psychology of AI, mental imagery, and Aphantasia. His debut book, The Intuition Toolkit: The New Science of Knowing What Without Knowing Why, was published in 2024. His pioneering research has significantly altered our understanding of intuition, the human imagination, aphantasia, and the psychological impact of AI on humanity. He is now helping companies prepare for the disruptive change of the AI revolution.