Presidential Speaker Series

A Community in Conversation

The Presidential Speaker Series is designed to foster conversation at Iona and in the wider community on the nature and value of education. These talks are a forum for discussion, inquiry, and experimentation, and audience participation is a key factor in bringing out the insights that will move us forward. This year’s series uses the AI moment to concentrate our attention not just on the technology, but on the broader human values and interests it can and must serve.

All talks are open to members of Iona University and the local community.

Minds, Machines, Meaning

Teaching, Learning, and Thinking in the AI Age

Artificial intelligence forces us to consider profound questions about knowledge and thinking, teaching and learning, and the limits and potential of human attention. No matter how—or whether—we choose to integrate this technology into our educational models, AI is rapidly changing the ways in which people work, create and communicate.

To explore the ramifications of these changes, we have invited renowned thinkers on business innovation, technology, attention, and ethics to help us engage and ponder the opportunities and challenges of teaching, learning, and thinking in the AI age.

The 2024-25 Presidential Speaker Series is sponsored by the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning.

Shannon Vallor is an ethicist and philosopher of AI and the acclaimed author of Technology and the Virtues and The A.I. Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking. She serves as Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures in the Edinburgh Futures Institute, is Program Director for EFI’s MSc in Data and AI Ethics and holds the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence in the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Philosophy. From an early age she held a fascination with computing, robotics and space travel and the possibilities they hold to create a more humane future. Currently, she studies how we can reclaim technology as a moral practice and, in the process, create futures worth wanting.

The Virtues in the Age of Machine Thinking

Tuesday, April 22, 6:30 p.m.
Romita Auditorium, Ryan Library

In this culminating Driscoll Lecture, Vallor challenges us to ponder whether the technological future is being shaped for us, or if instead, it can be shaped by us to promote human flourishing. As the Baillie Gifford Chair of the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Vallor is a prominent advisor for policymakers and industry on the ethical design and use of AI.

Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is recommended.

Previous Speakers

D. Graham Burnett at the Presidential Speaker Series.

D. Graham Burnett holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and is currently the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. Throughout his career, he has held numerous fellowships from various institutions including the Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Columbia University, and more. Burnett is a member of the Friends of Attention, a network of creative collaborators, colleagues and friends who share an interest in Attention and the “…promises of the focused mind and the directed senses.”

Exploring Attention

Wednesday, February 26, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 27, Noon

Bronxville and New Rochelle Campuses

D. Graham Burnett doesn’t necessarily ask that people “pay” or “give” attention, but rather that we learn to cultivate, appreciate, and value the myriad types of attention available to the human experience. By making connections between seemingly disparate topics such as the writings of Saint Augustine, petroleum fracking, and LLMs, Burnett was able to communicate the gravity of his message without ever resorting to common reactionary advice like “just turn off your phone.” Instead, he created a careful thread that left the audience thinking about how we can utilize the powerful technologies available to us while honoring the sacred spaces—physical, spiritual, mental, and yes, virtual—that we hold most dear.

Dr. Tom Chatfield is a British author, tech philosopher, and educator with a focus on digital technology and its implications for society. His work includes books, academic research, and online courses exploring topics like critical thinking, AI ethics, and future skills. He has collaborated with various organizations, including Google, the BBC, The Economist, and universities worldwide, and his expertise is sought after as a speaker and broadcaster. Chatfield holds a doctorate from St. John's College, Oxford, and continues to contribute to the field of technology and education. His most recent book is Wise Animals: How Technology Has Made Us What We Are.

Our Relationship with Technology

Tuesday, November 12, 5:30 p.m.
Romita Auditorium, Ryan Library

In this talk, Tom Chatfield, Ph.D., took us on a fascinating journey through humanity's co-evolution with technology. Highlighting humanity's ability to learn and teach, Chatfield drew a clear line from simple tools used by our ancestors to the supercomputers we carry in our pockets. While he acknowledged the immense value of modern technologies, including AI tools like ChatGPT, he also raised important questions about when we might need to step back from technology to seek answers regarding meaning and value that can only come from within.

Mr. Saviano speaking at the Presidential Speaker Series.

Mr. Saviano is a partner with EY Consulting and a member of EY’s emerging technology strategy practice. He is also an associate with the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, is a founding member of The Prosperity Collaborative, holds a faculty position at Boston University School of Law and is host of the Better Innovation podcast. Jeff holds an LL.M degree (Taxation) from Boston University School of Law, JD degree from Syracuse University College of Law and a BBA degree (Accounting) from Iona University.

Winning the AI Race: Where Strategy Meets Governance and Ethical Intelligence

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Jeffrey Saviano, class of 1989, offered a business leader’s insight into how AI is transforming boardroom conversations on strategy, governance, and ethics. In this discussion, he covered topics including the importance of AI in business, where ethics and AI converge, and more.