Talk: The Atomic Human - understanding ourselves in the age of AI

This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2024.

What if machines could think like humans? Can AI truly understand us? Ever wondered how AI will shape our future? 

Discover some of the answers with Neil Lawrence, one of the world’s foremost experts in AI and machine learning. In this insightful talk, Neil Lawrence will reveal how AI serves as a powerful assistant to human intelligence, not a replacement. He will discuss the limits of AI in replicating human thought and its profound impact on society and information management.

Additionally, the talk will explore our society’s fascination and fears about AI, examining its influence on human identity. Lawrence will give an overview of the current state of AI, the challenges we face, and the importance of transparency and data quality. This session will offer valuable insights into the real-world applications of AI and its future. 

Neil Lawrence is the inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge where he is also the academic lead of AI@Cam, the University’s flagship mission on AI. He has been working on machine learning models for over 25 years. He returned to academia in 2019 after three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon. He is also a Senior AI Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute, visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield and author of the forthcoming book The Atomic Human - understanding ourselves in the age of AI.

Attending the event

This talk will be held in the Kohn Centre on Friday 5 July 2024, 3pm — 3.30pm. 

• Free to attend, no ticket required
• The room has limited capacity, so we recommend that visitors arrive at least 10-15 minutes before the talk. We operate a first-come, first-served policy
• This talk will take place in person at the Royal Society and will also be livestreamed on the Royal Society YouTube channel
• Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually
• Suitable for students (14+)
• Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
• Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café

For all enquiries, please email us.