As generative AI becomes faster, cheaper, and more convincing, the ethical stakes are no longer theoretical. What happens when the tools to deceive become widely accessible? And how do we build systems that are powerful — but safe enough to trust?

At TechCrunch Sessions: AI, taking place June 5 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, Artemis Seaford, Head of AI Safety at ElevenLabs, and Ion Stoica, co-founder of Databricks and professor at UC Berkeley, will take the main stage to unpack the ethical challenges of today’s AI. Their conversation will cut to the heart of one of the most urgent questions in tech: What are we unleashing — and can we still steer it?

Artemis brings a rare blend of academic depth and frontline experience. At ElevenLabs, she leads AI safety efforts focused on media authenticity and abuse prevention. Her background spans OpenAI, Meta, and global risk management at the intersection of law, policy, and geopolitics. Expect a grounded, clear-eyed take on how deepfakes are evolving, what new risks are emerging, and which interventions are actually working.

Ion, meanwhile, brings a systems-level view. He’s not just a leader in AI research—he’s helped build the infrastructure behind it. From Spark to Ray to ChatBot Arena, his open source projects power many of today’s most advanced AI deployments. As executive chairman of Databricks and a founder of several AI-driven companies, Ion knows what it takes to scale responsibly — and where today’s tools still fall short.

Together, they’ll unpack the ethical blind spots in today’s development cycles, explore how safety can be embedded into core architectures, and examine the roles that industry, academia, and regulation must play in the years ahead.

This session is part of a day-long exploration at the front lines of artificial intelligence, featuring speakers from OpenAI, Google Cloud, Anthropic, Cohere, and more. Expect tactical insight, candid dialogue, and a rare cross-section of technologists, researchers, and founders — all in one room. Plus, you’ll have the chance to engage with these top minds through breakouts and top-tier networking.

Grab your ticket now and save big — over $300 off, plus 50% off a second ticket. Whether you’re building the future or just trying to keep up with it, you and your plus-one should be in the room for this.

The tools are moving fast. The ethics need to catch up. Don’t get left behind — learn how to stay compliant.