Generative AI wasn’t slowly introduced to society, rather it burst onto the scene and is already impacting our daily lives, from personalized recommendations to automated customer service and more — and its influence will only grow as technology advances.
Amid the current hype and craze, it's essential to understand its potential and its practical challenges. How does it work, why does it work, and does it actually make sense? Dr. Sidney Shapiro, assistant professor of business analytics in the University of Lethbridge’s Dhillon School of Business, will explore the current state of Generative AI, its future possibilities and critically examine the impacts it could have on society at the next PUBlic Professor Series event — Will Generative AI Change the World? — on Thursday, Nov. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Slice Bar and Grill. Coffee and tea will be available.
“Lately, AI has completely taken over and everybody’s talking about it,” says Shapiro. “I’m very excited to examine how AI is going to shape the future and the massive social change that are happening in every aspect of our lives because of AI.”
Generative AI is a frontier technology that promises to transform industries and reshape our daily lives. The potential applications are vast and varied, from creative content generation to advanced problem-solving capabilities. However, as with many technological advancements, it comes with ethical, social, environmental and practical challenges
“It’s making huge societal changes, and people are worried about losing their jobs, how it could possibly change the workforce by unplugging people and plugging AI in,” says Shapiro. “I think there’s a lot to be hesitant about, based on how the technology works and what we can learn about it. In my talk, we will discuss how businesses and individuals can harness this technology responsibly and the implications for our future.”
Shapiro, who is also an adjunct assistant professor of computer science, has a wealth of experience in data science and business analytics. With over a decade of expertise in developing and automating data, he has worked extensively at the intersection of AI, data engineering and business intelligence. Formerly a data science manager in the occupational health and safety sector, Shapiro focuses on advancing theoretical and practical applications of data and business analytics. His research spans AI adoption trends, data privacy and the transformative potential of emerging technologies in business and education.
This is the third of six talks in the annual PUBlic Professor Series lectures which feature thought-provoking discussions on the most relevant topics of the day, bringing together a diverse group of experts and researchers from across the ULethbridge campus and into the community. Every talk is free of charge but registration is required as space is limited, specifically for this event, and few tickets remain. For those who cannot attend, the talk will be available on the ULethbridge YouTube channel following the presentation.
See more at ulethbridge.ca/research/public-professor.