How much do we have in common with machines?

Sunday 26 January 2020

Brains from near and far will unite in Jersey next week as part of a global night of debate to resolve the big question of how much we have in common with machines, and what that means in the context of AI.

Organised by the local branch of the Alliance Française, the discussion will form part of Jersey's inaugural 'Nuit des Idées' and will be held between 18:00 and 20:00 on 30 January at the Institute of Law at Highlands College.

The Night of Ideas is a project, which runs simultaneously in Paris, London and worldwide launched in 2016 by the Institut Français.

The IF promotes French culture worldwide and works closely with the Alliance Française which promotes both the French language and the French ‘art de vivre’.

The Night of Ideas celebrates the French willingness to debate and discuss ideas. This year, it is taking on a British, French and wider European perspective, inviting audiences to discuss what it means for a human being to be alive today.

Pictured: The debate will take place on the top floor of the Turner Building.

“Some say artificial intelligence will bring our species to the brink of extinction ... and then decide to dispense with it,” the local branch of the Alliance Française said.

“Others look forward to building mankind anew. With the natural world seemingly under threat from all quarters and technology now all-powerful we need to discuss, openly and collectively, the frontiers of what it means to be human

“We need to dare to question what has long been taken for granted and ask: where does the border lie separating humans from machines, where will it lie and where should it lie?”

For the first local event, the Alliance Française has invited a number of guests to “debate after dark”.

They include Director of King’s Digital Lab Dr James Smithies, Lab Director Dr Austin Gibbs, co-founder of an artificial intelligence consulting company François Chesnay, and a Jersey government policy adviser with responsibility for digital services, Tom Fothergill.

Islanders are invited to apply for free tickets online.