Later this month, the University of Lethbridge will present its next PUBlic Professor Series event, “Will Generative AI Change the World?” The event will feature Dr. Sidney Shapiro, assistant professor of Business Analytics from the Dhillon School of Business.
Generative AI wasn’t slowly introduced to society, rather it burst onto the scene and is already impacting our daily lives, from personalized recommendations to automated customer service and more — and its influence will only grow as technology advances. Amid the current hype and craze, it’s essential to understand its potential and its practical challenges. How does it work, why does it work, and does it actually make sense?
“Lately, AI has completely taken over and everybody’s talking about it,” says Shapiro. “I’m very excited to examine how AI is going to shape the future and the massive social changes happening in every aspect of our lives because of AI.”
Generative AI is also a frontier technology that promises to transform industries and reshape daily lives. The potential applications are vast and varied, from creative content generation to advanced problem-solving capabilities. However, as with many technological advancements, it comes with ethical, social, environmental and practical challenges.
“It’s making huge societal changes and people are worried about losing their jobs, how it could possibly change the workforce by unplugging people and plugging AI in,” adds Shapiro. “I think there’s a lot to be hesitant about, based on how the technology works and what we can learn about it. In my talk, we will discuss how businesses and individuals can harness this technology responsibly and the implications for our future.”
This is the third of six talks in the annual PUBlic Professor Series lectures, which feature thought-provoking discussions on the most relevant topics of the day, bringing together a diverse group of experts and researchers from across the ULethbridge campus and into the community.
Every talk is free, but registration is required, as space is limited. The event takes place Nov. 28 from 7-9 p.m. at the Slice Bar and Grill.
