About

The conversation continues on the impact of AI on our lives. AI software like ChatGPT are becoming part of our daily lives, governments talk of using AIs for economic growth and efficiency, fears continue around the threats to copyright and creativity, as well as to simple understanding of reality. How do we balance the fears with the potential? Will the rise in AI change the essence of being human? And what happens when those lines begin to blur? This panel will feature Victoria Hetherington, author of The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship, Nehal El-Hadi, and David Eliot, author of Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI. Together, they will share their perspectives on the realities of our AI reality.

Moderated by Owais Lightwala

Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI

Read more about Artificially Intelligent: The Very Human Story of AI

Buy from

Buy from University of Toronto Press

The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship

Read more about The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship

Buy from

Buy from Sutherland House Books

Nehal El-Hadi

Nehal El-Hadi is a writer, researcher, and editor whose work explores the intersections between the body, place, and technology. Nehal completed her PhD in Planning at the University of Toronto, where she examined the relationships between user-generated content and everyday public urban life.

Read more about Nehal El-Hadi

David Eliot

David Eliot is a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa, where he researches the social and political effects of artificial intelligence. He is a member of the Critical Surveillance Studies Lab, and his work on AI has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2022 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation PhD Scholarship.

Read more about David Eliot

Victoria Hetherington

Victoria Hetherington is the author of two novels: Mooncalves (Now or Never Books, 2019), which was shortlisted for the 2020 Amazon First Novel Award, and Autonomy (Dundurn and Rare Machines, 2022). She is also the author of Into The Mist, a non-fiction historical account that explores a decades-long mystery in rural Saskatchewan.

Read more about Victoria Hetherington

Dates & Times

Wed, Oct 29

5:30pm

↑

6:30pm

A book signing will follow this event

Tickets

Festival Pass

Regular $159 + HST
Student & Youth $79 + HST

Weekday Day Pass

Regular $24 + HST
Student & Youth $15 + HST

EXPLORE PASSES

↑

Venue

Victoria College Chapel
91 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M5S 2C7