Futures Summit 2026 | Human Skills in an Autonomous World
On September 9 and 10, the third annual California Community Colleges Futures Summit was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center. This year’s theme, “Human Skills in an Autonomous World,” focused on the creativity, judgment, collaboration, and leadership that remain essential as colleges integrate AI tools.
The summit, a national convening focused on equity-driven digital transformation, was hosted by the California Community Colleges Digital Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Equity, in partnership with the Chancellor’s Office and Foothill-De Anza Community College District. More than 1,000 leaders, educators, and innovators attended to explore how Agentic AI, Spatial AI, and emerging technologies are reshaping learning, work, and opportunity.
“California’s community colleges have an extraordinary opportunity to embrace AI and emerging technologies, not simply to automate what we already do, but to design better experiences around what people actually need.” — Bryan Miller, Executive Vice President, Communications and Technology, FoundationCCC
Read Miller’s full reflection of the summit
That focus was echoed by Natalie Perez-Regalado, Manager of Climate Strategies, and Cameron Sublett, Senior Director of Innovation and Incubation, who represented FoundationCCC at the summit. Their remarks highlighted the importance of innovation and climate strategies in advancing more equitable and transformative approaches across the community college system.
Across two dynamic days, participants engaged in Main Stage conversations, hands-on labs, interactive demonstrations, Reel Futures: Student AI Film Shorts Competition film screenings, and Esports experiences designed to spark new thinking and showcase practical strategies for improving student outcomes, strengthening workforce pathways, and modernizing institutional operations. In alignment with the Chancellor’s Office Vision 2030 priorities, the summit offered colleges actionable approaches to capacity-building and cross-sector collaboration as they prepare students for an increasingly digital future.
The Futures Summit, led by the Chancellor’s Office and supported by FoundationCCC’s Conference and Events team, highlights the system’s commitment to harnessing the potential of generative AI to enhance educational access and success. The insights gained from this event will continue to shape our approach to education in the AI era.
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