https://www.palaceoffinearts.org/event/a-free-press-x-fire-debate-on-art...
https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-a-free-press-debate-on-ai
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Artificial intelligence is still in its infancy, but it’s already upending how we work, write, research, and learn. We’re on the cusp of a technological revolution that will completely transform the way we consume information.
But will AI bring us closer to understanding the world—or will it cause us to lose our grip on reality? That’s the subject of The Free Press’ next live debate on May 15 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco. We’re partnering with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to bring together four leading experts who will tackle the question: Will the truth survive artificial intelligence?
Aravind Srinivas, founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, and Fei-Fei Li, the esteemed computer scientist known as the “godmother of AI,” will argue that this technology will enhance our knowledge and understanding. They’ll face computer scientist Jaron Lanier and Superbloom author Nicholas Carr, who will make the case that AI will do just the opposite. Bari Weiss will moderate.
This debate goes beyond concerns about ideological bias and censorship in AI systems. We’ll dig into pressing questions like: Will AI-driven recommendation algorithms trap us in deeper echo chambers? Will automated content farms manipulate public discourse? And what will the rise of deepfakes mean for our ability to distinguish fact from fiction?
https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-a-free-press-debate-on-ai
"Last Thursday, 900 people convened in San Francisco for a debate that asked: Will the truth survive artificial intelligence? Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas and AI “godmother” Fei-Fei Li argued that this technology will improve our understanding of the world. They faced off against computer scientist Jaron Lanier and author Nicholas Carr, who argued that it would do just the opposite. The Free Press’s founder, Bari Weiss, moderated. We’re proud to have partnered with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the nation’s leading free speech defender, for this latest live debate.
Legendary comedian Colin Quinn kicked off the evening, shrugging off concerns about AI and noting that the internet has already long disrupted our relationship with the truth. “Google stole all the people in your life. Like that one friend you went to for legal advice. They weren’t a lawyer, they didn’t have any legal knowledge, but they’d give you a confident answer,” he quipped. “Before Waze and Google Maps, when you were lost, you’d sit in the back of the car and watch the disintegration of your parents’ marriage in real time.”
At the beginning of the debate, 68 percent of the live audience voted for AI optimism, affirming that the truth will survive artificial intelligence.?
