Women in Focus: Sara Polak

The guest of the next edition of the Czech Centre’s Women in Focus series will be Sara Polak, an archaeologist, evolutionary anthropologist, and technology innovator whose work bridges the humanities and cutting-edge AI research.

Polak is a co-founder of the Mobilis Institute and the blockchain educational platform ShellProof, a Visiting Research Fellow and part-time lecturer at the University of Oxford, and leads the CCHAOS Research group at the Faculty of Information Technology, Czech Technical University. Her focus lies in the digitisation of cultural heritage and the simulation of civilisational dynamics. Having spent much of her career in the UK and the USA tech sectors, Polak is passionate about connecting modern technologies with the humanities. She has been named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30, was recognised as a Top Innovator (2022), and received the Business Revolution Award from the UK Department for International Trade. She believes that only through education and interdisciplinary collaboration can humanity fulfil its potential — and perhaps one day survive on Mars. She explores these ideas through the Civilisational Resilience think tank, which she co-founded. 

In her talk Archaeology and AI: the last hope for our survival?, Sara Polak will explore how civilisational resilience — the ability of societies to endure, adapt, and thrive through both crises and everyday pressures — increasingly depends on the synergy between technology and the humanities. She will examine how artificial intelligence and archaeology can enrich our understanding of past societies and offer strategies for a more sustainable future. By combining AI-driven archaeological research with humanistic insight, we can preserve cultural heritage, learn from historical adaptations, and help shape ethical, resilient technologies for generations to come.

Sara will be in conversation with Miky Škoda

Miky Škoda is a serial founder and evolutionary strategist, combining AI, education, and adaptability to tackle complex challenges. As co-founder of the Mobilis Institute, he helps organizations grow through innovative learning, science-based tools and strategies designed to build resilience and prepare for the future.  

 

More information:

 

https://london.czechcentres.cz/en/program/women-in-focus-sara-polak

 

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