The Future of Human Engagement: A Guide for Real People Living Through Unreal Times

In a world shaped by artificial intelligence, accelerating complexity, and synthetic interactions, staying human is no longer just a virtue, it’s a skill. In this keynote, Eric Anctil, author of the forthcoming book Keep Evolving and Stay Human and founder of the human engagement studio Cosmic North, explores how we design for empathy, trust, and real connection in an increasingly automated world. Blending storytelling, cultural critique, and practical frameworks, Eric offers a compass for educators, leaders, creatives, and anyone navigating disorientation in the digital age. Rather than resisting technology, he challenges audiences to evolve alongside it, while protecting the spark that makes us matter. Eric’s work offers a path toward meaningful connection in a time that often feels disconnected and completely unreal.

Eric Anctil is a professor of media and technology at the University of Portland and the founder of Cosmic North Studio, a human engagement consultancy helping brands, institutions, and organizations stay grounded and trusted in a world increasingly shaped by machines. For more than two decades, Eric has explored the evolving relationship between humans and technology, not to predict the future, but to help people live wisely within it. His work blends academic insight, cultural analysis, and strategic design to ask one central question: How do we keep evolving without losing what makes us human? A frequent keynote speaker and author of several books, including the forthcoming Keep Evolving and Stay Human: A Field Guide for Real People Living Through Unreal Times, Eric advises organizations ranging from universities and think tanks to government and mission-driven companies on how to navigate change with clarity, empathy, and trust. He’s been a classroom teacher, a university professor, and now a human-centered guide helping others design meaningful engagement in a machine-shaped world.