University of Guelph-Humber

An opportunity for students to take part in a program where ideas and themes from renowned books and films will be discussed as part of a regular forum. Conversations about society, politics, economics, psychology, and culture will be led by Dr. George Bragues, Associate Vice-Provost, Academic of UofGH and Dr. Matthew LaGrone, Program Head, Liberal Studies.

Accepted students are recognized as Agora Fellows.

Schedule

Fellows meet 8 times during the fall 2023 semester. Each meeting is approximately 2 hours.

Topics

'Artificial intelligence and Humanity' will be the theme of the discussions.
Questions explored include:

•    What is artificial intelligence (AI)?  
•    How does AI compare to human intelligence? 
•    How did AI emerge and how has it advanced to the present time? 
•    What are the implications of AI for society, including work, education, medicine, government, law, and the arts?  
•    Will AI eventually imitate, or even surpass, all the dimensions of human intelligence? 
•    What are the ethical issues raised by AI?
•    Will AI become sentient? 
•    Does AI represent an opportunity for humanity or a threat?  
•    What does the future hold for humanity with respect to AI? 

Readings/Film for discussion 
Selections will be read and discussed from the following:

•    “The Age of AI and Our Human Future”, by Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel Huttenlocher
•     “Phaedrus”, by Plato 
•    “Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence”, by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb
•    “The Treatise of Human Nature”, by David Hume
•    “Harvard Lectures on Pragmatism”, by Charles S. Peirce
•    “Computer Machinery and Intelligence” by Alan Turing
•    “The Myth of Artificial Intelligence”, by Erik J. Larson
•    “Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms”, by Hannah Fry
•    “Her”, film directed by Spike Jonze 

Field trip 
Agora Fellows also participate in a field trip (location TBD), led by Dr. George Bragues and Dr. Matthew LaGrone. This provides an opportunity to gain a more practical understanding of the topics discussed at the meetings.

Benefits 
Though no course credit is granted for participating in the discussion group, students chosen to become Agora Fellows will benefit from:
•    A distinctive title and accomplishment for your resume and co-curricular record
•    Free copies of the works under discussion
•    An all-expenses (flight + accommodations) paid field trip
•    A deepened understanding of the human project
 

Availability & Eligibility

There are up to 8 Agora fellowships available for fall 2023.

All University of Guelph-Humber students are eligible to apply.

We will be looking to form a group of students with a diversity of life experiences and perspectives, willing to engage in respectful conversation and debate.

Application Form

Apply Now!

Deadline to apply is Thursday, April 6, 2023.

For inquiries, please email assistvp@guelphhumber.ca