Name
Plenary: Living Through the Hinge of History: Challenges and Opportunities
Description

It is perhaps not surprising that given the upheaval and the convulsions experienced by the current international system, talk of nearing important 'inflection points', or finding ourselves amidst a 'Zeitenwende' as the German chancellor recently put it, has focused the attention of the international community as enduring norms and institutions are frayed and at times shattered by conflict and, more recently, technological advances. While the former are not new, and have been instrumental in the disruption and rebuilding of new international orders in the past, e.g. following the end of World War II, talk of a new age of AI increases the stakes. In the coming years and decades, AI is likely to transform all fields of human activity: political, social, economic, and religious. However, whether it is Derek Parfit noting that we are living during the ‘hinge of history’, or Nick Bostrom warning that 'our entire future may hinge on how we solve' the problems that lie ahead, we are reminded that much of what is to transpire is still very much in our hands. If living during the hinge of history means that choices made and actions taken by the current generation of academics, researchers, as well as government and business leaders, will have a disproportionate impact and influence on the future of humanity, then one of the most important tasks that lies ahead for us as educators is to work together to harness the best that technology has to offer and to provide our students, in addition to the relevant technical skills, the necessary critical thinking skills and ethical scaffolding needed to thrive in the age of AI.

Medlir Mema
Time
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EDT)
Session Currently Live