Events

Genesis: artificial intelligence, hope, and the human spirit

Hosted by the Data Science Institute

In-person and online public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building)

Speakers

Craig Mundie

Craig Mundie

Mairéad Pratschke

Mairéad Pratschke

Chair

Professor Martin Anthony

Professor Martin Anthony

As AI absorbs data, gains agency, and intermediates between humans and reality, it will help us to address enormous crises, from climate change to geopolitical conflicts to income inequality.

But it will also pose challenges on a scale and of an intensity that we have never seen before.

 Co-author Craig Mundie explains how his new book outlines a strategy for navigating the age of AI, charting a course between blind faith and unjustified fear. It is the final book of the late elder statesman Henry Kissinger written in collaboration with technologist Eric Schmidt.

Mundie touches on how the book attempts to answer some of the biggest questions of our generation: How will AI alter our perception of reality? How will humanity's role in the discovery of new knowledge evolve in the age of AI? What new forms of control will be required to address AI's autonomous capabilities? Could AI spur a new phase in human evolution?

Meet our speakers and chair

Craig Mundie, President of Mundie & Associates, joined Microsoft in 1992 and retired in 2014 as chief research and strategy officer. He advises Microsoft on quantum computing and cybersecurity, is a director of the Institute for Systems Biology, advisor to the Cleveland Clinic, and an investor in early-stage AI, biotech, fusion energy, and materials science companies. He served Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama on multiple advisory councils.

Mairéad Pratschke has worked at the intersection of digital technology and education for 25 years, as a researcher, designer, consultant, author and speaker. She is Professor and Chair in Digital Education in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Manchester; Visiting Professor at LSE’s Data Science Institute; Research Fellow and Advisory Board member at the USA’s National AI Institute for Adult Education and Online Learning; and author of Generative AI and Education

Martin Anthony is Interim Director of the Data Science Institute and a Professor of Mathematics at LSE. His research interests lie primarily in the mathematical theory underpinning machine learning, data science, and Boolean and pseudo-Boolean functions. Working at LSE since 1990, Martin has been an Academic Governor, the Vice-Chair Academic Board and Head of Department for Mathematics (twice).

More about this event

Join us on campus or watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the new home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. A video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

The Data Science Institute (@LSEDataScience) is an interdisciplinary institute established to foster the study of data science and new forms of data with a focus on their social, economic and political aspects.

The hashtag for this event is #LSEEvents

Join our mailing list

Sign up to receive email updates from LSE Events including the latest news and event announcements.

LSE Blogs

Many speakers at LSE events also write for LSE Blogs, which present research and critical commentary accessibly for a public audience. Follow British Politics and Policy, the Business Review, the Impact BlogEuropean Politics and Policy and the LSE Review of Books to learn more about the debates our events series present.

Live captions

Automated live captions are available at this live event. Please note that this feature uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology, or machine generated transcription and is not 100% accurate.

Photography

Photographs taken on behalf of LSE are often used on our social media accounts, website and publications. At events, photographs could include broad shots of the audience and lecture theatre, of speakers during the talk, and of audience members as they participate in the Q&A.

If you are photographed participating in an event Q&A but would not like your photograph to be stored for future use, please contact events@lse.ac.uk.

Media queries

Please contact the Press Office if you would like to request a press seat or have a media query about this event, email LSE.Press.Events@lse.ac.uk. Please note that press seats are usually allocated at least 24 hours before each event.

Podcasts

We aim to make all LSE events available as a podcast subject to receiving permission from the speaker/s to do this, and subject to no technical problems with the recording of the event. Podcasts are normally available 1 week after the event. Podcasts and videos of past events can be found online

Social Media

Follow LSE public events on X for the latest updates on all our events and ticket releases. 

Livestreams and archive videos of past lectures are shared on our YouTube channel while event podcasts can be found on the LSE Player.

Event updates and other information about what’s happening at LSE can be found on our Facebook page and for live photos from events and around campus, follow us on Instagram

Attending our events in-person or online? Join the conversation using #LSEEvents.

Accessibility

If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, as well as on accessibility and special requirements, please refer to LSE Events FAQ.  LSE aims to ensure that people have equal access to these public events, but please contact the events organiser as far as possible in advance if you have any access requirements so that arrangements, where possible, can be made. If the event is ticketed, please ensure you get in touch in advance of the ticket release date. Access Guides to all our venues can be viewed online.

WIFI Access

LSE has now introduced wireless for guests and visitors in association with 'The Cloud', also in use at many other locations across the UK. If you are on campus visiting for the day or attending a conference or event, you can connect your device to wireless. See more information and create an account at Join the Cloud.
Visitors from other participating institutions are encouraged to use eduroam. If you are having trouble connecting to eduroam, please contact your home institution for assistance.
The Cloud is only intended for guest and visitor access to wifi. Existing LSE staff and students are encouraged to use eduroam instead.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

How can I attend? Add to calendar

This public event is free and open to all. This event will be a hybrid event, with an in-person audience and an online audience. 

For the in-person event: Members of the public, LSE students, staff and alumni can request one ticket via the online ticket request form which will be live on this listing after 10am on Wednesday 22 January until at least 12noon on Thursday 23 January. If after this time we have received more requests than there are tickets available, the line will be closed, and tickets will be allocated on a random basis to those requests received. If we have received fewer requests than tickets available, the ticket line will stay open until all tickets have been allocated. You will be notified within 2 working days whether your ticket request has been successful.

For the online event: Register for this event via LSE Live at Genesis: artificial intelligence, hope, and the human spirit.

For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk.

  Sign up for news about events