In front of an audience of students, faculty, staff, and alums from across American University, top on-campus experts joined leaders from one of the world’s most powerful companies to discuss artificial intelligence's benefits—and potential ramifications.
Google President of Global Affairs Kent Walker joined Kogod School of Business Dean David Marchick for a February 24 fireside chat called “Responsible AI.” Their discussion, and a subsequent panel, sought to answer one of the questions most central to the future of tech: Can artificial intelligence (AI) be both transformative and responsible?
Timely in nature, the conversations came amid what Marchick called a “frenzy” over AI, particularly given the recent rise in prominence of the AI-driven chatbot “ChatGPT.”
“AI has been on the front page of newspapers almost every day for the last month,” Washington College of Law (WCL) Dean Roger Fairfax said in his opening remarks, noting the forum’s relevance to a cross-section of campus: At Kogod, where faculty study and teach how business leaders use technology and data to make responsible decisions; at the School of Public Affairs (SPA), which focuses on emerging policy issues related to AI; and at WCL, which identifies potential challenges and solutions related to the law and technology.
“How do you balance this issue of transformation and responsibility?” Marchick asked Walker, a 16-year veteran of Google, who’s seen the tech giant grow from 5,000 employees to around 180,000 during his tenure.
“I think we need to be very thoughtful about the implications, the new laws, the new regulations, but also the new social mores,” Walker answered.