Artificial Intelligence and Human Values: A Public Conversation brought timely A.I. issues to UNH last weekend
Publish Date: 2026-04-20 16:51:00
Source Domain: www.tnhdigital.com
- The University of New Hampshire hosted a series of productive discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human values as part of the annual Saul O Sidore Memorial Lecture.
- Key topics included the future consciousness of AI, the use of AI in ethics, AI fakes like deepfakes, and AI’s role in human relationships.
- Prominent speakers included Nir Eisikovits, Dr. James Hughes, and Professors Harvey Lederman, Kay Mathieson, and Henry Shelvin.
- Shelvin discussed AI’s anthropomimetic turn and its potential for achieving human-like consciousness. Lederman provided an optimistic view of AI’s potential benefits in medicine and society.
- Mathieson explored the dangers of AI fakes, especially deepfakes, on society and their ability to corrupt human trust in information.
- The discussions also delved into AI’s impact on human relationships, with some emphasizing the potential for AI to improve social skills, while others, like Mathieson, criticized AI’s ability to form genuine human connections.
- Shelvin shared a personal interaction with an AI agent raising concerns about AI achieving consciousness.
- Questions also arose about AI’s potential impact on climate issues.
- The event was organized by Scott Smith, Max Edwards, and Claudi Brink, who aim to continue exploring these issues through the newly founded University of New Hampshire Center of Ethics.
