Dr. Matthew Meyer, professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, will present “AI and Our Humanity” Feb. 5 as part of the Thursdays at the U series at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County.
The program will run from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall in Ritzinger Hall and will be livestreamed at ricelaketv.com.
Meyer will discuss how artificial intelligence, both in reality and in the dream of what’s possible, captivates the human imagination. On the one hand, if AI becomes advanced enough, it could lead to our own extinction. On the other hand, if everything goes right, AI and human interaction may lead to solving all significant human problems — war, famine, climate — and perhaps even work.
After briefly reviewing the above possibilities, Meyer will turn to a question not posed often enough: Even if the development and adoption of AI goes as well as it possibly can, are we still losing something irretrievable? What happens to meaning and purpose in a “solved” world?
Meyer’s philosophical interests include existentialism, happiness studies, pop culture and philosophy, psychoanalysis and environmental ethics. Lately, he has been interested in the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence, having taught one honors seminar on the subject and offering the first official Philosophy of AI course this semester at UW-Eau Claire.
The Thursdays at the U weekly series is free and open to the public thanks to support from the UW-Eau Claire – Barron County Foundation. Neither seating reservations nor parking permits are needed for in-person attendees.
While in-person attendance is encouraged, most presentations in the series are livestreamed and archived on the Thursdays at the U webpage.
The next program in the series will be Feb. 12, with award-winning writer Nickolas Butler presenting “Writing From Home: Finding Inspiration in Small Town Wisconsin.”
For more information, contact Laura Holden at 715-788-6207 or holdenlk@uwec.edu.
