Longevity + AI: The Great Convergence Shaping Our Century

This 45-minute session will feature a lively conversation between Sonia, Ricardo, and moderator Chris Underhill, co-founder of The Elders Council, about how longevity and AI together are redefining the human journey in the 21st century.

Since 2022, Sonia Gil (64) and Ricardo Oliveira Neves (70) have collaborated with Catalyst Now as co-founders of the 50plus Chapter. Sonia, an architect and artist, has embraced digital tools over the past decade and is now incorporating AI into her creative practice. Ricardo, a lifelong explorer of science and technology, combines his work as a social entrepreneur with his role as a business consultant.

Married and professional partners since the 1990s, Sonia and Ricardo began their journey by founding the Institute of Technology for the Citizen, a Rio de Janeiro–based NGO dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations and social activists. Rather than slowing down upon entering their 60s, they chose to immigrate to Berlin in 2017, where they continue to launch new projects and ideas.

Together, they champion a new mindset on aging. With life expectancy increasingly approaching 100 years, they argue that the traditional model of retirement no longer fits our times. Instead, they advocate for a new narrative: that our 50s mark the midpoint of adult life, opening space for reinvention, purpose, and contribution.

Their recent co-authored book, Living Longer, Thinking Differently – Unterwegs, presents their vision of “The New Longevity” and explores how technology—especially AI—is reshaping what it means to live a centenarian lifespan.