Alone in the Algorithm: Human Connection in the Age of AI

• Social media was supposed to connect us to the people we cared most about and yet we've never been more alone. Now come AI chatbots promising to be our tutors, therapists, coaches and companions—even our lovers. But what do we lose when we turn to AI for what was once the exclusive province of human connection?

• Join California magazine's Pat Joseph in conversation with UC Berkeley Professor Jodi Halpern and renowned technologist Jaron Lanier to explore the seductions and dangers of artificial intelligence against the backdrop of America's deepening loneliness epidemic.

Jodi Halpern, MD, PhD is a Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities in the Joint Medical Program and the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley and co-founder of the Berkeley Group for the Ethics and Regulation of Innovative Technologies. Her current work explores how AI and robotics are transforming caregiving and relationships, including AI psychotherapy and the future of empathy.

Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, composer, artist, and author widely recognized as a pioneer of virtual reality and one of technology's most prescient critics. His books include the bestsellers You Are Not a Gadget , Who Owns the Future?, and Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.

• The California Live! series presents some of Berkeley’s most distinguished faculty and alumni discussing today’s most pressing issues. In partnership with BAMPFA, the Cal Alumni Association and its award-winning California magazine invite you to join us for our next episode. Tickets to this event include free access to the galleries at BAMPFA and a wine reception.

• Enjoy free access to the galleries at BAMPFA. Check-in begins at 5:45 p.m.

• A wine reception with Jodi Halpern and Jaron Lanier will follow the program.

• If you require an accommodation for effective communication or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please call 510.900.8225 with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7–10 days in advance of the event.

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