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Societies at an AI Crossroads: Choices and Value Conflicts - A Lecture by Ignas Kalpokas

Veranstaltungsdaten

While contemporary societies are undergoing profound transformations driven by artificial intelligence and related technologies, a singular notion of “progress” dominates public discourse. In areas such as education, cultural heritage, creativity, biology, and technology, hegemonic (typically progressivist) narratives often overshadow alternative (critical) perspectives on the present and future, making it difficult to recognize moral and technological choices. A counterbalance is needed—one that demonstrates how the future can be shaped rather than passively received.

Decisions in these areas are indeed shaped by deeply entrenched ideological, political, and economic assumptions, often accompanied by rhetoric of inevitability. Yet it is crucial to remember that we are making not only technical and economic decisions, but also moral and societal ones: between maximizing efficiency and preserving plurality; between treating technological possibilities as imperatives and critically assessing their desirability; between moral blindness and responsibility. Only by regaining the ability to recognize the options available can we actively help shape the future form of societies—and humanity itself.

This lecture is based on the forthcoming book: Societies at an AI Crossroads: Choices and Value Conflicts by Ignas Kalpokas and Julija Kalpokiené.