The consequences of contemporary technological innovations for the lives and values of future generations are enormous. The wide range of expected – and unexpected – applications require rethinking governance arrangements, legal regimes, economic structures, and social relations. Exploration of such topics is the subject of the 2017-18 Stanford University Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences symposium series.

In the first symposium, CASBS presents a panel discussion among three 2017-18 CASBS fellows supported by the Berggruen Institute: technology journalist John Markoff, applied engineer and defense researcher Arati Prabhakar, and philosopher-ethicist and Buddhist monk Tenzin Priyadarshi. They will explore vital issues including the pace of adoption of automation and artificial intelligence (AI); the ethical responsibilities of scientists, engineers, and technology firms; and the implications for jobs and societal disruption.

How we frame and contextualize these and related issues and questions will influence how we as a society address the challenges and opportunities of automation and AI.