Self-driving cars. ChatGPT. Cancer detection. Smart speakers. Robots in manufacturing… and even in our homes. Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere these days. So, what does the average human need to know about AI as it is quickly becoming part of our everyday lives? 

Join the Knox County Public Library at noon on Thursdays in May (5/4, 5/11, 5/18, 5/25) at the East Tennessee History Center auditorium (601 S. Gay Str.) for a four-part series exploring many aspects of artificial intelligence. Knoxville entrepreneur and Lirio Chief Evangelist Patrick Hunt along with guest panelists from the industry will translate complex technical concepts into easily digestible, bite-sized nuggets of helpful information. 

In this four-part series, topics include:

• A working definition of artificial intelligence, a brief history of the technology and science behind it, and various types of AI and the use cases to which they typically apply.
•  A more detailed look at some of the most common uses of AI that impact East Tennesseans, and a few organizations in the region innovating and deploying AI solutions in the public and private sectors.
• An examination of some of the ethical, legal, regulatory, and other issues that arise in AI applications, including concepts like the black box and explainable AI.
• The possible scenarios of how AI will evolve beyond what we can currently see in front of us, and some of the key questions that future generations will likely have to grapple with.

“AI is a really popular topic at this moment in time, and it is evolving at a very rapid pace,” said Hunt. “I think it’s essential for everyone to have at least a basic understanding of AI, how it impacts us today, and likely will in the future.”