Taking on artificial intelligence
The Panetta Lecture Series opens Monday with several experts discussing the state of artificial intelligence and its impact on society. “The reality is that artificial intelligence is now involved in almost every sector of human life,” said former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who will lead Monday night's panel at the Monterey Conference Center. “Will AI help democracy or threaten its existence? I'll pose these questions to experts on technology, society and national security.”
The lecture will start at 7 p.m. at the Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling the Panetta Institute at (831) 582-4200. Monday's expert panel will include Aneesh Chopra, the U.S. chief technology officer from 2009-2012; Jennifer Golbeck, a professor and the College of Information Studies and director of the Social Intelligence Lab at the University of Maryland; Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and retired Admiral Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command from 2014-2018.
“AI has been used by the military for years for surveillance and is now moving onto the battlefield,” Panetta said in a press release.
“It has become an essential tool in health care. Through algorithms and the ability to process information at incredible speeds, AI is both an incredible resource and a frightening unknown. What are the best applications for this remarkable technology? Where are the dangers and the potential threats?”
This will be the first of four lectures this year under the overall theme of “Challenges to Democracy at Home and Abroad.” The three other Monday
lectures, which will run from 7-8:30 p.m., include:
*April 1: “The Challenges of Immigration — Reform or Chaos in 2024?”
*May 13: “The Challenge of War in the Middle East — Will There Be Peace or More War?”
*June 3: “The Challenge of the 2024 Election — A United or Divided America?”
Leon Panetta Lecture Series subscriptions include tickets to all four live events and are available for $400. Individual tickets sell for $100. To order a subscription or individual ticket, call the Panetta Institute at (831) 582-4200 to pay with a credit card.