MADISON, Wis. – The La Follette School of Public Affairs is hosting renowned scholar Professor Sendhil Mullainathan on Thursday, November 6 at 3:30 p.m. for a sold-out public presentation on the profound changes AI will bring to the economy and public policy.
In his talk, “We’re Building the Wrong AI,” Mullainathan will provide an accessible overview of the two kinds of AI possible under current technological and social conditions. One will have minimal impact on economic growth and possibly lead to job losses. The other could greatly increase growth rates and improve human productivity. The presentation will also include a discussion of how we can move toward building the right kind of AI that works for humanity.
“Right now, the pinnacle of AI is algorithms that possess human capacities,” Mullainathan says. “Instead, it should be algorithms that enhance human capacities. We should be building bicycles for the mind, not replacements for the mind.”
Mullainathan is the Peter de Florez Professor at MIT, splitting his time between the Economics and the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments. His current research is at the intersection of algorithms and people and his new research center, The Bike Shop @ MIT, works toward more human-centered AI through scalable “bicycles for the mind” that harness and enhance human capacity.
A recipient of the coveted MacArthur “genius” grant, Mullainathan has been designated a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, labeled a “Top 100 Thinker” by Foreign Policy Magazine, and named to the “Smart List: 50 people who will change the world” by Wired Magazine (UK). Mullainathan has co-authored two books, including “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Professor Mullainathan to Madison for this timely and provocative talk,” says Professor Jason Fletcher of the La Follette School. “He is a brilliant scholar, and he has emerged as a leading voice in these critically important conversations as we collectively rush headlong into the uncharted waters of AI.”
Mullainathan’s talk will be held at the Memorial Union’s Play Circle on the UW-Madison campus. It will include a Q&A moderated by Fletcher. The event was open to the public but has already sold out.
The presentation is made possible through UW-Madison’s Hilldale Lecture Series, which since 1973 has showcased distinguished thinkers whose contributions to contemporary culture and science have received international recognition and acclaim. It is also supported by the Wisconsin School of Business and the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences.
