AI & Society Events to Examine Real-World Trade Offs Behind AI
Posted September 30, 2026
Artificial intelligence may operate in the digital world, but it leaves a massive and very real physical and societal footprint. What does AI’s rapid growth mean for the future of humanity? How can it be steered towards a more prosperous future for all?
The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts will host a series of four events, the AI & Society Series, to bring together scholars, practitioners, industry leaders, and the Georgia Tech community to explore some of the most consequential questions surrounding artificial intelligence and their potential solutions. Through the interdisciplinary lens of the liberal arts, the series will examine AI's physical infrastructure, its influence on research and discovery, its evolving role in human relationships, and its impact on creativity and creative industries.
“Considering technology from a humanistic perspective has never been more necessary,” said Amand Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. “AI has so much potential to be positive and transformational, but we should prioritize understanding and mitigating the challenges it creates in its wake.”
The series will kick off with “We, the People, and AI: The Future of Data, Energy, Health, and Human Rights” on Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the John Lewis Student Center’s Walter G. Ehmer Theater. This event will explore the infrastructure behind AI — from data centers and energy consumption to environmental and societal impacts.
Panelists include Wendy H. Wong, Professor, University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus; Caroline Gwynn Monagle, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, R1 RCM; and Marilyn A. Brown, Regents and Brook Byers Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
Wong’s research examines global governance, technology, human rights, and civil society. Her book We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age explores how Big Data and artificial intelligence challenge traditional understandings of human rights and won the 2024 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy.
Monagle leads strategic initiatives at R1 RCM, a healthcare technology and services company, in an industry undergoing rapid technological transformation. A Georgia Tech alumna, Monagle’s leadership experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, strategy, and organizational change brings an industry perspective to the conversation about AI's impact on health and society.
Brown’s research examines energy policy, efficiency, electricity systems, clean-energy technologies, and resilience, providing critical expertise on the rapidly growing relationship between artificial intelligence, energy demand, infrastructure, and sustainability. Before joining Georgia Tech, she held leadership roles at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and later served as a presidentially appointed member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board.
Upcoming events in the AI & Society Series include:
AI and Academic Research: The Future of Discovery
Wednesday, Nov. 4 | 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center – Grand Ballrooms
AI, Human Empathy, and Relationships: Is AI a Better Partner?
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2027 | 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Historic Academy of Medicine
AI and Creativity: Creative Industries in Flux
Wednesday, April 14, 2027 | 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Walter G. Ehmer Theater (Atlantic)
