President's Forum presents: 'AI: The End of the World or the Dawn of a New Age'

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Biddeford Campus (Harold Alfond Forum Room 283)

James Miller, J.D., Ph.D.; David Weinberger, Ph.D.

The global emergence of AI has kindled lively discourse about its impact on all aspects of society, including education, arts, and science. Among the controversies making headlines are topics on discrimination, copyright, and sentience. AI experts disagree on whether it poses existential threats to humanity or if it will usher in a new era of efficiency and problem solving.

UNE is privileged to feature two AI experts who are also exemplary communicators, each of whom has different perspectives on the likely impact of AI. This conversation will embody the thoughtful, nuanced, and civil discourse on challenging subjects that is the objective for the President’s Forum series.

SPEAKERS:

James Miller, J.D., Ph.D., is a professor of economics at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the author of “Singularity Rising,” and “Game Theory at Work.” He specializes in law, game theory, and the economics of future technology. Miller is the founder and host of the podcast, “Future Strategist,” where he addresses contemporary topics, including AI.

David Weinberger, Ph.D., a professor for the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, has explored the effect of technology — especially AI and the Internet — on ideas about ourselves, our world, and business. For the past few years, he has been working, as a part-time writer- and editor-in-residence, in a Google ethics of AI group and among Google AI and humanism researchers.

UNE Philosophy Professor John Waterman, Ph.D. will moderate the discussion, which will include ample opportunity for audience participation through comments and questions.