Thinking Through AI

Tues./Thurs., Oct. 27 & 29, 10-11:30 a.m.

Time: 10-11:30 a.m.

Location: In person: Arcata

Cost: $45

With Ross Beveridge, Computer Scientist

For most of our lives, when confronted with a question, we reached for books, experts, libraries, videos, and later did a web search. Recently, the instructor approached many of those same questions through conversation with an AI, and the resulting process of inquiry feels fundamentally different. This course explores that difference, and what it may mean for how we learn, investigate, create, and solve problems.

The examples presented in this course are drawn from a diverse collection of real-world inquiries. Just for example, AI has assisted the instructor in planning a garden, designing furniture, exploring quantum computing, creating single-panel cartoons, better understanding why some of his photographs work better than others, and planning itineraries for summer-long van trips.

The common thread is not the subject matter, but the process: a conversation that helps organize information, uncover alternatives, connect ideas, and support human judgment. By examining these examples, we will explore how an AI partner can amplify what we know, what we can do, and how deeply we think.

Register by 12 p.m., October 24.

Ross Beveridge

Ross Beveridge is Professor Emeritus at Colorado State University. He began research in artificial intelligence in 1984 and has enjoyed a front-row seat for more than half the history of the field. His work has included computer vision, human-computer interaction, machine learning, and the evaluation of AI systems. Along the way he has explored topics ranging from giving computers the ability to see and recognize faces to understanding modern learning systems through high-dimensional geometry. 

Since retiring in 2022, he has become increasingly interested in how AI can augment human curiosity, learning, and understanding. He now resides in Humboldt County.