Why the Future of AI Belongs to the Adaptive
A5X: The Ascent Series is a curated lead-up to NUS Enterprise’s flagship A5X: Global Innovation & Venture Summit.
This series brings you closer to the leaders who have already mastered the climb, offering the first-hand insights necessary for the challenging road ahead.
Designed for serious founders, frontier researchers, investors, and innovation leaders, the series brings a select audience into the room with extraordinary minds shaping the future.
This edition features one of the most respected voices in global AI.
What If Bigger Isn’t Better?
Why the Future of AI Belongs to the Adaptive
For the past few years, the AI race has followed one dominant belief: bigger models, more data, more GPUs, more compute.
But what if the next leap forward doesn’t come from scale?
What if the future belongs to AI systems that can learn continuously, adapt in real time, and become smarter through interaction, without endless retraining cycles or billion-dollar infrastructure?
Why the Smartest Builders Are Listening to Dr Sara Hooker
A Rare Inside Look at Where the Next Frontier of AI is Really Headed
Join Dr Sara Hooker, former leader at Google DeepMind and Cohere, as she shares the next frontier of artificial intelligence.
Now Co-founder of Adaption — fresh off a $50M funding round — Sara is building AI that moves beyond static, pre-trained systems toward models that evolve dynamically with their environment.
For founders, operators, and investors, this session offers a behind-the-curtain look at where AI may truly be heading next.
In this session, you’ll discover:
Why “bigger is better” may be reaching its limits
Why scaling model size alone may no longer deliver the biggest breakthroughs.The rise of adaptive AI systems
How continuous learning models could outperform static systems in real-world environments.AI efficiency as a competitive advantage
Why smaller, cheaper, faster models may unlock wider adoption across industries.Where founders can build next
Emerging startup opportunities beyond crowded LLM wrappers and commodity tooling.What serious investors are watching now
Why sophisticated capital is backing a new thesis in AI infrastructure.
Why you should attend
If you are:
Building an AI startup
Researching next-generation systems
Investing in frontier technologies
Trying to separate signal from hype
Then this session is for you.
Because the next wave of AI may not be bigger.
It may be smarter.
Event details
15 May 2026 (Friday)
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM (SGT), Registration check-ins 2 PM.
i3 building, 21 Heng Mui Keng Terrance, NUS Enterprise, Singapore 119613
Seminar Room 3
Expect a room of ambitious builders, researchers, operators, and investors serious about the next decade of AI.
Seats will be limited. Register early to secure your spot.
About Dr Sara Hooker
Dr Sara Hooker is one of the most influential voices shaping the future of artificial intelligence today. She is widely respected for combining world-class technical expertise with a strong commitment to building AI that is efficient, practical, and responsible.
Formerly a research leader at Google DeepMind and later VP of Research at Cohere, Sara has led groundbreaking work in multilingual AI, model efficiency, fairness, and scalable machine learning systems used across global industries.
In 2024, she was recognised in TIME Magazine’s TIME100 AI as one of the world’s most influential people in AI.
In 2025, she co-founded Adaption, a company taking a bold new approach to artificial intelligence. Rather than building ever-larger models, the company focuses on smaller, adaptive AI systems that learn continuously in real time and evolve through interaction.
Dr Hooker is known for challenging conventional thinking, pushing the boundaries of how AI should be built, and helping founders, researchers, and businesses understand where the next generation of opportunity lies. Her insights are especially valuable for anyone interested in what comes after today’s AI hype cycle.