When the internet and social media burst into the homes of the everyday man, it was hard to foresee the impact it would have on the way we read. Today, we have reached a new technological milestone with ChatGPT. Fears of being tossed aside by sentient AI beings have renewed or started afresh. But perhaps, the impact of AI could be more subtle than the extermination of the human race. We could start with how AI could affect the way we read. In this session, hear Author Stanley (Qiufan) Chen and Associate Professor Dennis Yi discuss and speculate how AI will impact reading and literacy in the future.
About the speakers
Chen Qiufan (a.k.a. Stanley Chan) is an award-winning Chinese speculative fiction author, and a translator, curator, Asia21 Next Gen Fellow (2023), Berggruen Institute Fellow (2023), and Research Scholar for MacMillan Center of Yale University (2023-2024). He focuses on issues of climate change and the environment, artificial intelligence and cybernetic society, and reflecting on how to incorporate ancient Chinese philosophies into the narrative framework for constructing a future technological society. His works include the debut novel Waste Tide and AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future (co-authored with Dr. Kai-Fu Lee).
Dennis Yi Tenen is an associate professor of English at Columbia University, where he also co-directs the Center for Comparative Media. His research happens at the intersection of people, text, and technology. A long-time affiliate of Columbia’s Data Science Institute, formerly a Microsoft engineer in the Windows group and fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, his code runs on millions of personal computers worldwide.
Jonathan Y. H. Sim (moderator) is Associate Fellow of the NUS Teaching Academy and Lecturer with the Department of Philosophy, at the National University of Singapore. He teaches Chinese philosophy and the Philosophy of Computing and Data Analytics to both undergraduates and working professionals. For his passion in sharing the joys of philosophy and his unique insights as a philosopher on a spectrum of applied issues, Jonathan has been invited to speak on matters such as AI, education, tech and society, and the future of work for the Business Times, Channel New Asia, China Global TV Network, the Financial Times, the Straits Times, South China Morning Post, and TODAY News.
About Reading in the Age of Distraction
Reading in the Age of Distraction (RAD) is a series of conversations featuring acclaimed local and international thinkers on the science of reading, and reading well in the digital age. In this edition of RAD, we dissect the latest digital trends that shape how we read such as audiobooks, BookTok and AI. To sign up for the other RAD sessions, click here!
