On Wednesday 29th July at 11 am, Susan Webster will talk about AI and its likely impacts on all our lives — An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.

It sounds a bit intense, but Susan assures us it will be a high-level exploration rather than a deep technical dive. She’s mapped out her approach in the graphic above — and there’s a nice story behind it. Susan told her friend “CHAT” what she planned to talk about, but she had no idea how to turn it into a picture. No problem: CHAT did the work. A few tweaks later, and there it is. Wizardry!

So what’s on the map? Susan will explore AI from several angles:

1. Everywhere, every day — but what is it? AI is built into browsers, office suites, apps and devices, and it’s hard to avoid. It sits behind new data centres, share market prices, and the ever-present question: where did it come from?

2. Creativity. Painting, music, choreography — AI is now turning its hand to all of them.

3. Emotional comfort and companionship. Friendliness, sympathy, encouragement, and even robotic care for older folk.

4. Productivity gains. Personal, commercial and educational. It can save time, automate tasks, help us make better decisions, and learn and achieve more.

5. Should humans fear AI? Susan doesn’t shy away from the harder questions: AI is not currently sentient or self-aware, but human misuse is the biggest risk. There’s job disruption and inequality to weigh up, the loss of privacy and trust in truth, and the prospect of power concentrated in a few hands.

The thread running through all of it: AI is a tool. How we use it shapes our future.

Come along on Wednesday 29th July at 11 am for what promises to be a thought-provoking and very accessible morning. No technical background required — just curiosity.