Taylor Owen holds the Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications at McGill University, where he studies the impacts and ethics of Big Tech, social media, and Artificial Intelligence on our public and private lives.

 It’s often said that those who control the media, control the mind. Newspaper barons used to shape the thinking of the masses, but now it’s the algorithms of social media.

 Will Big Tech save humanity or destroy it?

 Professor Owen believes that our future lies somewhere between these two extremes, but just who is regulating these companies?

 Are politicians and bureaucrats acting in the public interest, or have they been captured by Big Tech, too?

 Donald Trump owns a social media platform. So does Elon Musk, who deployed “X” to great effect in the recent U.S. election. Do you see any conflict of interest here?

 As for AI, it’s being introduced into all areas of our lives at breakneck speed. How will it alter our society? Will it leave any room for “humanity”?

 And what about the young people in our lives? Is it just the older members of society who are frightened by the speed and power of “new technology”?

 Are those who’ve grown up with the Internet savvy enough to take care of themselves? Or are they already living in the “Matrix”, a simulated world in which humans fulfil roles that have been predetermined for them by machines?

One thing is certain: Taylor Owen will expand our understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved with Big Tech, social media and AI. Please join us for a great discussion!

Tickets available HERE