Speakers from technology, scientific research, labor organizing and community advocacy are scheduled to gather at Caltech in Pasadena on Thursday, Oct. 22, for a discussion examining the economic forces behind artificial intelligence and its consequences for workers, communities and the environment.
The event, titled AI, Science, and the Profit Motive, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in Noyes 153, the J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall, on the Caltech campus, according to the institute’s official event calendar.
The program will examine what organizers describe as a “socialist vision for artificial intelligence,” focusing on the motivations behind the rapid expansion of AI and how the technology could serve public and environmental interests.
According to the event announcement, participants will discuss the forces driving the AI boom and its consequences for society, including the relationship between technological development and economic incentives.
The discussion comes as Caltech researchers separately examine the effects of artificial intelligence on scientific discovery, public policy and local communities.
In June, Caltech brought together local government officials, researchers and community representatives for a workshop examining the growing impact of artificial intelligence data centers on California communities.
The June 15 workshop, held at Caltech’s Resnick Sustainability Center, addressed questions involving electricity demand, public health, infrastructure, environmental consequences and public attitudes toward data center development.
Representatives from nearly two dozen organizations across the San Gabriel Valley and Greater Los Angeles region were invited to participate. The workshop was organized by Caltech’s Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Science, Society, and Policy, the Resnick Sustainability Institute and the Caltech Science Exchange.
Caltech is also examining how artificial intelligence could change the organization and practice of scientific research.
On Oct. 7, the institute announced a collaboration with the American Institute of Mathematics to develop an AI platform designed specifically for mathematicians.
According to Caltech’s announcement, the proposed system would help researchers organize mathematical work, identify connections between problems, develop possible approaches and collaborate on solutions.
The announcement also acknowledged concerns among mathematicians about the growing role of large corporations in mathematical research, particularly whether discoveries would continue to be shared freely.
Thursday’s evening forum is a separate event, focusing on questions of labor, economic motivation and the broader societal consequences of artificial intelligence rather than the technical development of AI systems.
Earlier Thursday, Caltech will hold a mechanical and civil engineering seminar titled Mechanical Design in the Age of AI.
Antoine Jerusalem, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Oxford, is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. in Gates-Thomas 135, according to Caltech’s engineering calendar.
The evening forum will take place on the Caltech campus at 1200 E. California Blvd. in Pasadena.
An online RSVP form is available through Caltech’s official event announcement.
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