The AI era is here. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere—on headlines, and in classrooms, cars and workplaces, and in our homes. But is it truly transformative, or just over-hyped? How might it shape the way we live, work, and connect with family and friends? How may routine life change? And how soon? This six-week seminar will have a wide thematic scope: culture, education, economics, politics, ethics, existential angst and meaning of life. Each week, we will read and discuss two recent essays from leading journals such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, HBR, and others, providing contemporary relevance to the topics being discussed. No technical background is required to enjoy this study group, but familiarity with some AI terminology like LLMs and some hands-on experience with ChatGPT or similar AI tools might be useful, though not essential. Together we might ask: What does AI mean for us as humans, and how should we respond to this moment in history? (All prep materials will be distributed in advance)
Deb Mukherjee has been leading study groups and shared interest groups for the past decade at OLLI.
