The ISA Automation Summit & Expo (ASE) returns to the Walt Disney World, this time at Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, 27–29 September 2026, bringing a sharpened focus on artificial intelligence, robotics and hands-on professional development. Building on 2025's record-setting turnout of more than 630 attendees, 65 exhibitors, and 67 speakers, ASE 2026 expands its technical programming and debuts new interactive experiences designed to meet automation professionals wherever they are in their AI journey — whether they are just getting oriented or ready to go deep on emerging applications.
Four tracks, one industry-wide conversation
For 2026, ASE has grown from two technical tracks to four: Keynotes and Panels, Emerging Tech and Process Control, Cybersecurity, and Career Skills. That expansion gives attendees more room to focus on what matters most to their role, while still encountering AI and robotics content woven throughout nearly every track.
The main event runs Monday, 28 September (8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) and Tuesday, 29 September (8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.), with the Expo Hall open both days and "Expo Power Hours" set aside as dedicated, unopposed windows for live demos and technical conversations with exhibitors. Monday evening features the ISA Honors & Awards Gala, celebrating the industry's top automation leaders.
This year's headline keynote speaker is a former U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds lead pilot, who will deliver both a Career Skills session on crisis management and a keynote on operating under pressure — a theme with obvious resonance for professionals managing high-consequence industrial environments.
A deep dive into every category of industrial AI
ASE 2026 organizes its AI content around the five ways artificial intelligence is actually showing up on the plant floor: machine learning (ML) and predictive analytics; computer vision and deep learning; reinforcement learning and advanced process control; physical AI and intelligent robotics; and generative AI with agentic workflows.
For attendees who want a foundation before diving in, the new AI Primer Workshop covers all five categories in one approachable session — from how machine learning predicts equipment failures and demand, to how computer vision powers visual inspection and safety monitoring, to how reinforcement learning optimizes throughput and energy use in process control.
From there, the main program goes deeper. The new AI vs. AI Across Industry Sectors Forum examines how organizations across verticals are simultaneously applying and defending against AI. The Career Skills track, now running as a full track across both conference days, includes multiple sessions on generative AI and agentic automation, including how natural-language tools can automate maintenance-ticket creation and parts ordering.
Cybersecurity and robotics intersect in dedicated sessions on securing autonomous vehicles, featuring Cherri Caddy, and on drone and cyber safety — timely topics as more facilities deploy autonomous mobile robots and drones for inspection and monitoring. For the fullest picture of AI-specific programming, attendees can filter the online agenda at by selecting "AI" as a program topic.
The Robot Experience Hub: new, interactive, and impossible to miss
Physical AI and intelligent robotics get their own showcase this year with the brand-new Robot Experience Hub, located in the Expo Hall (Northern Hemisphere B–D). Unlike a static display, it's a wide-open, high-energy space where attendees can watch autonomous mobile robots, humanoids, and quadruped robots in action. Attendees can interact directly with the robots, watch live races, network with exhibitors, and discover new robotics use cases relevant to their own operations.
Confirmed participants include:
- BP, showcasing a quadruped robot; and
- Xplorobot, demonstrating drones and digital twin technology
- the University of Central Florida (UFC), bringing a humanoid robot, a quadruped nicknamed "TapeMeasurer," a Mars rover demo, robotic arms, and an autonomous vehicle race
The UCF partnership extends beyond the expo floor with the university's robotics club anchoring much of the Hub, and its professors contributing to both the AI Primer Workshop and the Emerging Tech track.
The Student Simulation Showdown also returns this year, upgraded to an immersive AR/VR experience — another reflection of ASE's investment in developing the next generation of automation talent.
ISA Training: build certifiable skills after the conference
Beyond the conference and expo, ISA is offering three in-demand training courses on-site immediately following ASE, at the Dolphin Conference Center:
- Cybersecurity Awareness Training for Water/Wastewater Industry Professionals (IC31C) on 26 September taught by| Steve Mustard
- Using the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards to Secure Your Control Systems (IC32) on 29 September–1 October taught by Felipe Costa
- Automation Project Management (MT01) on 29 September–2 October taught by Jay Jeffreys, P.E.
IC32 teaches attendees to protect critical control systems and reduce cyber risk using the ISA/IEC 62443 standards framework, while MT01 covers how automation projects move from planning through delivery. Both are accredited, expert-developed courses taught by practitioners with real-world experience, and both help attendees cut downtime, boost efficiency, and strengthen safety and security back on the job. Full course descriptions and registration are available online at ase.isa.org/training.
Why every automation professional should attend
ASE 2026 isn't just for AI specialists or robotics engineers. The AI Primer Workshop builds a foundation for newcomers, while the four-track technical program, the AI vs. AI forum, and the Robot Experience Hub give experienced practitioners hands-on exposure to cutting-edge applications.
Because sessions span predictive maintenance, computer vision, process control, robotics, cybersecurity, and career development — and post-conference training builds certifiable, resume-ready skills — professionals from any vertical, and at any point in their AI journey, will find sessions and connections directly applicable to their work.
For the complete daily conference and expo schedule, visit https://ase.isa.org/agenda. For the full ISA Training course catalog, visit https://www.isa.org/training.
