Are We Building Better Lives or Better Tech? #NYCTechWeek

This event is a part of #NYCTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com

This conversation brings together engineers and strategists working at the forefront of AI development, Seniha Koksal, Evan Dorsky, Dr. Benjamin Shapiro, Geoff Gibbins and political philosopher Dr. Ece Tekbulut to examine the trade-offs AI introduces across the core pillars of human flourishing: health, work, creative expression and human-AI connection.

Speakers will offer accessible reflections to frame key issues, then we'll open it up for Q&A and group discussion. Come ready to share your own experiences and questions about AI. Your perspective matters.

Complimentary drinks and snack will be available.

Seniha Koksal is a computer scientist and artist exploring AI as both a system and a cultural force. She teaches at Parsons and has worked across startups and companies like Microsoft, building large-scale intelligent products. Her current work centers on multi-agent systems and creative AI, investigating how autonomous systems can generate, interact, and evolve as forms of expression.

Evan Dorsky is a robotics engineer and critical technologist. He has worked on autonomous systems at Apple and taught tech ethics with Stanford University and Olin College. He believes that no technology is neutral, and that if we learn to see the values embedded in technologies, we will be better able to mitigate their negative effects, while benefitting from the positives.

Dr. Benjamin Shapiro is a scientist and engineer working at the intersection of AI, biomedicine, and product development. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University and has built and applied machine learning methods across biomedical research and industry, including his most recent work in drug target discovery at GSK. He has a passion for translating technology into meaningful improvements to human health and life.

Geoff Gibbins is a strategy consultant and product designer who is obsessed with Human-AI collaboration. He has developed AI strategy for large corporations such as Walmart, Mastercard, Nestle and Pfizer, and built AI-enabled products for enterprises and consumers. He writes and publishes research on critical thinking in the age of AI, and has recently built Corrix, an AI collaboration assessment tool.

Dr. Ece Tekbulut is a political philosopher and the founder of Thinking Through. She earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University. Through Thinking Through, she creates spaces for people to become better thinkers. Her work brings rigorous philosophical inquiry into everyday life, exploring themes relevant to modern society.