The Future We Choose: Human Empowerment in the AI Age

With Sam Stern and Cecilia Callas

October 23 - 25, 2026

Workshop Schedule

Friday
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm*How to Drop into Esalen*
7:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday
9:30 am – 12:45 pm
3:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.

  • Sleeping Bag Space – $560.00
  • Bunk Bed Space – $740.00
  • Standard Shared Space – $930.00
  • Standard Queen Room – $1,230.00
  • Standard Room Two Beds – $1,950.00
  • Premium Queen Room – $1,800.00
  • Premium King Room – $1,932.00
  • Premium Plus King Room – $2,184.00
  • Premium Wooden Yurt – $2,184.00
  • Premium Wooden Yurt Two Beds – $2,184.00
  • Price House Suite – $2,950.00
  • Rolf Suite – $4,176.00
  • Point House – $4,176.00
  • Fritz Point House – $4,176.00
  • South Point House – $5,000.00

What does it mean to remain human in the new age of artificial intelligence? In this immersive weekend workshop, we’ll explore this profound question together, journeying from awareness to empowerment to integration as we discover how to shape our relationship with AI while preserving what matters most.

Through hands-on AI demonstrations, creative labs, and experiential exercises, we’ll witness firsthand both the remarkable capabilities and profound implications of this technology. We’ll experiment with AI as a creative collaborator, experimenting with the technology in conscious ways. With somatic practices, guided meditation, and time in nature, we’ll envision the future we want, free from tech industry narratives about what’s “inevitable.”

Each session will blend practical exploration with deep reflection. Through live talks and demonstrations, group dialogue, and creative experimentation, we’ll explore AI’s current capabilities while staying grounded in embodied practices. Throughout the experience, we’ll integrate insights through authentic sharing and meaningful connection with one another, and with ourselves.

You’ll have the opportunity to develop your personal AI Code of Practice, create conscious engagement with technology, and forge genuine connections with fellow participants. This workshop offers resources and perspectives to support you in bringing these meaningful conversations to your own communities, helping others find empowerment rather than overwhelm in our rapidly changing world.

About the Leaders

Cecilia Callas

Cecilia Callas works at Anthropic, where she helps communicate the importance of AI safety at the frontier of artificial intelligence. She co-founded The Ai Salon, a community think tank that convenes thought leaders, policymakers, technologists, creatives and civil society to navigate AI's societal implications. Through her writing and podcast RemAIning Human, Cecilia explores how we […]

Learn more about Cecilia Callas

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