Surviving AI

5:45pm                        Doors Open

6:00-6:30pm                Surviving AI comedy set - Shane Mauss

6:30-7:00pm                Panel with Kai Bickle, Chief Ethics Officer of BGI Labs

7:00-7:30pm                Bluegrass Jamming

7:30-8:00pm                Informal Discussion and Q&A

Surviving AI is a variety show hosted by Athena Aktipis, Director of Cooperative Futures @ ASU, and Shane Mauss, Stand-Up Comedian and Science Communicator, that blends humor with thoughtful exploration of how humans relate to artificial intelligence and how we might build a more cooperative technological future. They will be joined by special guest, Kai Bickle, Co-Founder and Chief Ethics Officer for BGI Labs. 

The evening begins with a stand-up comedy set, moves into a salon-style conversation with experts on AI and cooperation, and culminates in a live improvisational “battle” between a human artist and an AI, responding to each other in real time. Throughout the show, an LED screen displays dynamic visuals generated through human–AI collaboration, created live by AI artist Michael Strauss, inviting the audience to reflect on creativity, agency, and collaboration in an age of intelligent machines.

The evening's music comes from three virtuosos: John Kennedy, a longtime player whose songwriting has newly opened up through collaboration with AI; Bill Vernieu, who carries an astonishingly deep repertoire entirely by heart; and Beth Galiger, a professional flute, sax, and fiddle player.

Registration available now!