DECATUR, Ga. — Agnes Scott College is launching a free, yearlong public symposium examining what it means to live well as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply embedded in everyday life.
“Living Well with AI — Exploring Prospects for Human Flourishing” is the 2026–27 installment of the college’s Kirk Philosophy Lecture Series. The program will bring together experts in journalism, psychology, philosophy and neuroscience to discuss autonomy, authenticity, relationships and well-being.
Opening keynote set for September 16
Journalist and author Karen Hao will deliver the opening keynote, “Dreams & Nightmares in the Empire of AI,” at 8 p.m. on September 16. The college says the program will be available in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance and a virtual option while Hao joins remotely.
Additional talks are scheduled throughout the academic year, including sessions on family storytelling, adolescent well-being, moral character, repetitive thought and the ways people may relate to AI as a friend or therapist. A concluding keynote is planned for April 2027, with the date still to be announced.
A broader AI-literacy effort
The symposium comes as Agnes Scott introduces its Universal AI initiative, a curriculum built into the first-year experience. The college says the goal is to give every student foundational AI literacy, regardless of major, while encouraging critical and ethical engagement rather than simple adoption.
All symposium sessions are free and open to the public. Registration details, speaker biographies and the complete schedule are available through Agnes Scott College.
