AI, Technology, and The Human Future

Dr. Safiya U. Noble is the David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Gender Studies, African American Studies, and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is the Director of the Center on Resilience & Digital Justice and Co-Director of the Minderoo Initiative on Tech & Power at the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry (C2i2). Dr. Noble is the author of the best-selling book Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. In 2021, she was recognized as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow for her ground-breaking work on algorithmic discrimination.

“I build technologies that remember—so the world can’t forget. Each line of code holds a testimony, each archive a reckoning. My work gathers what injustice tried to erase, and reimagines what justice has yet to be.”

Dr. Allissa V. Richardson is an award-winning journalist, author, and associate professor at USC Annenberg. She founded the Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab, where she leads the Second Draft Project—an AI-powered oral history initiative preserving the voices of those impacted by police violence. The three-time Harvard Fellow is the author of Bearing Witness While Black and the forthcoming Canceled (MIT Press). Her work explores reparative journalism, Black witnessing, and the ethics of emerging technologies in media.

Siva Vaidhyanathan speaks on the impact of digitalization on society and democracy. In his speeches, he encourages audiences to consider how technology like Google and social media shape the way we think, and what we can do to foster a new Internet ecosystem designed to benefit the whole world. He is a frequent contributor on media and cultural issues on public radio shows and news programs, notably BBC, CNN and NBC. Siva has authored several books, including Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2018). His articles have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The Nation.

"Noah’s contribution caused the scales to fall from my eyes and to wonder if I had finally – after much searching – found the elixir of media literacy." —Janette Ballard, award-winning documentary film director and media literacy consultant  

Noah Giansiracusa is an associate professor of mathematics at Bentley University (a business school near Boston), visiting scholar at Harvard, and co-host of the AI in Academia podcast. He is the 2026 recipient of a national communication award for "bringing mathematical ideas and information to nonmathematical audiences." His first book explores the algorithms impacting our information ecosystem, while his second book, Robin Hood Math, shows how people of all backgrounds can use math to help navigate life and take back control in a world dominated by algorithms.

"We can only prepare for a future that we've considered in advance."

Kathryn Hulick (she/her) is a freelance journalist who covers AI and computing for Science Newsand Science News Explores.. She's also the author of books for young people or anyone who is curious. Her book The UFO Files(Quarto, 2025) combines a sci-fi story with scientific explanations of the marvels found on board an alien spacecraft. Her book Welcome To The Future(Quarto, 2021) is about how technology could change the world, and Strange But True (Quarto, 2019) uses critical thinking to explore the science behind paranormal mysteries.

What can Rome teach us about the rise of artifical intelligence? Quite a lot actually! Acclaimed historian, archeologist, and author Doug Boin provides a perspective on AI at the intersection of education, technology, and storytelling based on our collective history and decades of innovative classroom strategies that support the cultivation of critical thinking and creativity.

Andrea Freeman is a national and international expert on the intersections of race and food policy, health, and consumer credit. An acclaimed author of two books, she is currently at work on a new project about the intersection of consumer credit, policy, and technology.