Bozeman Library

SymBozium

The Future of Intelligence: Are We Ready for AGI?

The Future of Intelligence: Are We Ready for AGI? Imagine a world where machines don’t just assist us—they rival or even surpass human intelligence. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) isn’t just a futuristic fantasy; some experts believe it could become reality in the next 2-5 years. This seismic shift would redefine industries, economies, and even the fabric of human existence itself. Will AGI be humanity’s greatest ally, or its ultimate disruption? Join us for a provocative discussion as leading thinkers unpack the thrilling possibilities—and the existential risks—of machines that can think, learn, and innovate just like us… or better.

Speakers:
Tim Lockie, Founder, The Human Stack
Sarah Myers West, Co-director, AI Now
John Sheppard, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Montana State University
Charlie Warzel, Staff Writer, The Atlantic

Since 2018 SymBozium has tackled tough topics featuring subject matter experts representing varied points of view. Since then, SymBozium has addressed challenging themes ranging from Water in the West to Artificial Intelligence. In 2019, SymBozium was presented with the national Baker & Taylor award by United for Libraries in recognition of this innovative community program.

This event is free and open to the public. Presented by Bozeman Library Friends and Foundation. Proudly sponsored by Element Bozeman.

Dr. John Sheppard

Dr. John Sheppard is a Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Montana State University and previously was the RightNow Technologies Distinguished Professor in Computer Science at MSU. He holds a BS in computer science from Southern Methodist University and an MS and PhD in computer science from Johns Hopkins University. In 2007, he was elected as an IEEE Fellow "for contributions to system-level diagnosis and prognosis." Prior to entering academia, he was a Fellow at ARINC Incorporated, a defense aerospace company in Annapolis, MD where he worked for 20 years. Dr. Sheppard performs research in probabilistic graphical models, deep learning, evolutionary and swarm-based algorithms, distributed optimization, and applications to system-level test, diagnosis, and predictive health. Recently, his research has expanded into the areas of prostate cancer diagnosis, precision agriculture, and wildfire management. He has published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed conference proceedings and journals as well as three books on the subject of system-level diagnosis and systems engineering. In addition, Dr. Sheppard is active in IEEE Standards activities where, currently, he serves as the chair of the IEEE P2848 Prognostics and Health Management for Automatic Test Systems standards development working group under SCC20 and the IEEE P1232 Standard for System Diagnostic Data and Services. He is also a member of the IEEE P2976 eXplainable AI standards working group.

Sarah Myers West

Sarah has spent the last fifteen years interrogating the role of technology companies and their emergence as powerful political actors on the front lines of international governance. Sarah brings this depth of expertise to policymaking in her current role co-directing AI Now, with a focus on addressing the market incentives and infrastructures that shape tech’s role in society at large and ensuring it serves the interests of the public. Her forthcoming book, Tracing Code (University of California Press) draws on years of historical and social science research to examine the origins of data capitalism and commercial surveillance.

Sarah’s award-winning research is featured in leading academic journals and prominent media platforms including the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the Financial Times, Nature and the Wall Street Journal. She regularly advises members of Congress, the White House, European Commission, UK Government, Consumer Financial Protection Board and other US and international regulatory agencies and the City of New York, and has testified before Congress on issues including artificial intelligence, competition and data privacy.

She recently completed a term as a Senior Advisor on AI at the Federal Trade Commission, where she advised the Agency on the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the economy by working on competition and consumer protection matters. She currently serves on the OECD’s AI Futures Working Group, and has affiliations as a Visiting Research Scientist at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and at Cornell University’s Citizens and Technology Lab. She holds Doctoral and Masters Degrees from the University of Southern California, where she was the Wallis Annenberg Graduate Research Fellow, and has received Google Policy and New America Cybersecurity Fellowships, as well as a Foreign Language and Area Studies Scholarship.

Charlie Warzel

Charlie Warzel writes the newsletter, Galaxy Brain for The Atlantic, where he is a Contributing Writer. Before that he was a writer-at-large for the New York Times Opinion page, and a senior technology writer at BuzzFeed News. He was the lead writer of the Times' Privacy Project and co-author of 'One Nation Tracked,' a seven-part investigative series on smartphone location tracking, for which he was named a finalist for the 2020 Livingston Award for National Reporting. Before the Times, Warzel was a senior technology writer at BuzzFeed News, covering technology's biggest platforms, disinformation, and information warfare. He was the recipient of a 2019 Mirror Award for his reporting on Facebook's privacy struggles. He lives on an island off the coast of Washington state.

Tim Lockie

Tim Lockie is a nonprofit AI strategist and founder of The Human Stack, where he’s reshaping how the sector approaches artificial intelligence. As the creator of the Upskillerator, a learning community designed to help nonprofit professionals grow their AI skills. Tim brings a human-centered lens to every conversation about emerging tech. His approach? Help organizations unlock leadership buy-in, upskill their teams, and upgrade their tech in ways that feel approachable, ethical, and effective.

Through his AI accelerator cohorts and weekly AI for Anyone Live show, Tim makes AI both accessible and actionable for social impact organizations of all sizes. He’s trained thousands of nonprofit professionals and advised major players like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Fundraising.AI. Whether you’re curious about ChatGPT or planning sector-wide AI integration, Tim is the trusted voice guiding nonprofits through the noise toward meaningful, mission-aligned adoption.

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