Birkbeck - University of London
Birkbeck - University of London
11/13/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/13/2024 04:12
Birkbeck set to host critical seminar series about artificial intelligence
13 November 2024
The seminars will explore the impact and limitations as well as the promises and potential pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence.
As advances in artificial intelligence (AI) continue to develop rapidly, Birkbeck invites students, academics, and the public to join its 2024 Critical voices on AI seminar series.
Starting November 14, the series brings together leading researchers from different academic disciplines toexamine what AI represents, how it works, and the potential future it holds for society. Each event in this series posits a different question aimed to explore the power and limitations of AI technologies, theirpotential impact on our lives, workplaces, and perceptionsof reality and humanity.
Dr Alex Grzankowski,lead organiserof the seminar series commented:
"AI is transforming not just the way we work and create, but the very fabric of how we understand and interact with the world. This isn'tsimply a technical revolution; it'sa shift that calls for careful reflection on the values we want to embed in these technologies. The Critical AI seminar series offers a forum to engage in shaping AI's role in our lives-exploring its potential and challenges. We invite everyone with a stake in our shared future to join us in this timely conversation."
"Can ChatGPT think?"
Date:November 14, 2024
Time:18:00 - 19:30
Location:43 Gordon Square, Birkbeck
The series opens with Dr Grzankowski, Reader in Philosophy, who will question whether AI models like ChatGPT are genuinely capable of thinking or if they simply imitate human reasoning. His talk will explore foundational questions about AI's design and operation, asking:
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Is mimicking thought enough to make a machine a "thinker"?
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Are large language models like ChatGPT simply sophisticated "next word predictors"?
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Can a model that studies only language truly learn about the world?
"Fake physics and simulated worlds"
Date:November 19, 2024
Time:18:00 - 20:30
Location:Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck
Reader in Digital Media and Culture, Dr Joel Mckim, will discuss recent breakthroughs in AI image and video generation tools, such as OpenAI's Sora, which promise to create "world simulators." His talk will consider:
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How these text-to-image and text-to-video models operate.
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The extent to which they can reproduce complex physical processes.
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Whether AI developers' claims about creating virtual worlds hold up to scrutiny.
"Can AI hear everyone?"
Date:November 28, 2024
Time:18:30 - 20:00
Location:Clore Management Centre, Room CLO B01, Birkbeck
This talk by Dr Kinga Kozminska, senior lecturer in Language Structure Sociolinguistics, will explore inclusivity in AI-driven speech recognition. In her session, Dr Kozminskawill highlight who benefitsmost from these technologies and who might be left behind as AI becomes integral to our everyday interactions. Key questions include:
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How do speech recognition systems work, and what influences their accuracy?
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Why does voice recognition vary across different speakers?
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Can these tools serve everyone equally?
"The AI future sucks"
Date:December 3, 2024
Time:18:00 - 20:30
Location:Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck
The series ends with Senior Lecturer in Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Dr Felix Reidl's talk on the potential downsides of an AI-driven future. He will discuss:
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The realities AI might introduce into everyday life.
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The challenges and potential drawbacks AI could bring.
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Whether society has the power to shape or challenge the trajectory of AI development.
Each seminar in the series will include a post-talk reception, allowing attendees to discuss the covered topics and themes over refreshments.