Artificial Intelligence: What Does It Mean for Quakers?

The technology challenges what it means to be human. It surpasses human cognition, can generate new knowledge and be creative, all at low cost and in little time. Yet it has major shortcomings, from biases, hallucinations and a lack of explainability. And it presents many spiritual questions: can machines be conscious? How to embed ethics? What can humans do that algorithms cannot?

The course is divided into four sessions. The first looks at how AI works and considers its pros and cons in society. The second focuses on novel religious conundrums, from using AI to answer doctrinal questions or hear confession, to whether it can be spiritual, and what to think of new religious movements that worship AI.

The third session considers practical issues of AI in society, from the “alignment problem" (ensuring it hews to human values) to “defence tech" (ensuring AI weapons don't wipe us out). How can faith groups play a role in shaping the technology? The final session looks at the future of AI and humanity, notability “transhumanism" to put AI into people and what it means for the concept of life, the nature of work, and liberty, equality and human solidarity.

Join Kenneth Cukier, a journalist, AI expert and Quaker, for a lively, informative and accessible course, where you'll have the opportunity to engage in a range of fascinating questions, especially for Quakers, for whom contemplation, not computation, is the heart of existence.

The live Zoom sessions will take place every Thursday at 19:00-20:30 (UK time).