What Does It Mean to Be Human in an Age of AI?

As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes how we live, work, and make decisions, fundamental questions about humanity, ethics, and society come to the fore. In this thought-provoking talk, Jeremy Peckham, Commissioner at the AI, Faith and Civil Society Commission, will explore how AI is reshaping our understanding of what it means to be human, and the opportunities and challenges this presents for individuals and communities.

The lecture will be part of the Faith and Reason Lecture Series hosted by the Reading School Chaplaincy. The Faith and Reason Lecture Series explores the interplay between religion and science, how both speak to the other in pursuit of the same Truth.

About the speaker:

Jeremy Peckham has spent much of his career in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and latterly, as a businessman and entrepreneur. He worked as a government scientist at the UK Royal Aircraft Establishment and later moved to Logica, an international software and systems integration company. Whilst at Logica he was Project Director of the 5 year, pan European and 20m Euro research project on Speech Understanding and Dialogue (SUNDIAL) that broke new ground in AI.

He founded his first company in 1993 through a management buy-out, based on the AI technology developed at Logica, and launched a successful public offering on the London Stock Exchange in 1996. Jeremy is now a technology entrepreneur, having helped to establish several high-tech companies over the last 25 years, where he has served as founder and interim CEO, Chairman, or non-executive director. 

Jeremy serves as a Commissioner for the AI, Faith and Civil Society Commission that is seeking to ensure that  human values are preserved in the design, development and deployment of AI in a way which affirms the dignity of our shared humanity and benefits all people.