EcoReps Lunch & Learn: Generative Artificial Intelligence
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Learn to be a peer advocate for sustainability! Join us for monthly EcoReps Workshops with a free vegetarian lunch on last Fridays at noon in the Center for Belonging, Access & Engagement (Belknap Village North room 176) or Microsoft Teams. Next up on 11/20 is Ken Shapero from the Louisville Climate Action Network speaking on Take The Red Pill: The Rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence. If you cannot join us in-person for lunch, please join the livefeed at https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22769139296995?p=WWGvDKwaRu4HNXO1nH.
Artificial Intelligence has been part of our everyday life for a long time. For decades, grocery stores have used it to send us savings coupons for products we’re likely to buy. Netflix has used it to make movie recommendations. Google Maps has used it to help predict the most efficient routes from point A to point B. And airlines have used it to improve flight safety and reduce accidents and incidents. All of this is being eclipsed by the recent advent of Generative AI, which moves beyond pattern recognition and turns information into detailed planning and even action.
Generative AI is already helping humans solve complex problems for the betterment of mankind. However, the immense amount of computing power it requires is challenging our ability to generate and pay for the electricity it requires and is roiling communities where hyperscale data centers are being developed. Fears are rising that bots will replace human workers, creating massive unemployment; and that the cost of developing and paying for the infrastructure will create a general economic meltdown. Generative AI has even raised existential fears that bots might escape human control, causing humans widespread harm or even extinction.
All of these issues have boiled over into a new AI debate that has begun to eclipse traditional social classes and political affiliation. During this session, we’ll explore the rise of AI, Generative AI and the implications on politics, the economy, sustainability, and our society.
Our guest speaker is Ken Shapero who began his career nearly 50 years ago as a writer and editor for newspapers and magazines in Tennessee and Kentucky, including the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times. At UPS Airlines, Shapero served as airline Public Relations and Government Affairs manager 1988-2003, followed by five years co-owning The Jazz Factory and 12 years at GE Aviation in Seattle where he worked in public relations, government affairs and sales. After retiring from GE in 2020, Shapero returned to Louisville and joined the Louisville Climate Action Network as volunteer director of research and public affairs. He joined the LCAN board of directors in 2024.
Artificial Intelligence has been part of our everyday life for a long time. For decades, grocery stores have used it to send us savings coupons for products we’re likely to buy. Netflix has used it to make movie recommendations. Google Maps has used it to help predict the most efficient routes from point A to point B. And airlines have used it to improve flight safety and reduce accidents and incidents. All of this is being eclipsed by the recent advent of Generative AI, which moves beyond pattern recognition and turns information into detailed planning and even action.
Generative AI is already helping humans solve complex problems for the betterment of mankind. However, the immense amount of computing power it requires is challenging our ability to generate and pay for the electricity it requires and is roiling communities where hyperscale data centers are being developed. Fears are rising that bots will replace human workers, creating massive unemployment; and that the cost of developing and paying for the infrastructure will create a general economic meltdown. Generative AI has even raised existential fears that bots might escape human control, causing humans widespread harm or even extinction.
All of these issues have boiled over into a new AI debate that has begun to eclipse traditional social classes and political affiliation. During this session, we’ll explore the rise of AI, Generative AI and the implications on politics, the economy, sustainability, and our society.
Our guest speaker is Ken Shapero who began his career nearly 50 years ago as a writer and editor for newspapers and magazines in Tennessee and Kentucky, including the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times. At UPS Airlines, Shapero served as airline Public Relations and Government Affairs manager 1988-2003, followed by five years co-owning The Jazz Factory and 12 years at GE Aviation in Seattle where he worked in public relations, government affairs and sales. After retiring from GE in 2020, Shapero returned to Louisville and joined the Louisville Climate Action Network as volunteer director of research and public affairs. He joined the LCAN board of directors in 2024.
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Where is it happening?
UofL Center for Belonging Access & Engagement, 120 E Brandeis Ave,Louisville,KY,United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherUniversity of Louisville Eco-Reps
