Dr. Richard Cole is Senior Lecturer in Digital Futures at the University of Bristol where he also co-directs the MA Games Design (Narrative). He has published and presented widely on how video games, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence systems transform the ways we engage with culture. In 2022, he co-founded the Bristol Digital Game Lab. The Game Lab asks not just what games are, but what they can do for society, for our future. Through the convening power of the Game Lab, Richard brings together academia, industry, and the public sector. The aim? To unlock the power of play for cultural, educational, and civic transformation.