Festival of the Mind showcase to explore how AI shapes daily life
What does AI actually mean for our daily lives? Members of the public are invited to explore the real-world impact, social ethics, and future of AI at a special day-long showcase at the Festival of the Mind in November.
How does artificial intelligence affect our everyday lives—and who gets to decide its future?
A day-long public showcase hosted by the University of Sheffield’s Centre for Machine Intelligence aims to answer those questions by bringing cutting-edge research out of the lab and into the heart of the city.
The event, titled Understanding AI, takes place at Channing Hall on Saturday, 7 November as part of Sheffield’s biannual Festival of the Mind. The event promises an accessible look into the real-world applications, ethics, and societal impacts of automation and machine learning.
Throughout the daytime exhibition, visitors will be able to test interactive digital research displays, watch live robotics demonstrations, and contribute to an artist-led zine project documenting personal experiences with emerging technology.
The showcase culminates in the afternoon premiere of a new documentary detailing the rise of Let’s Talk AI; a grassroots initiative created to boost public AI literacy.
Directed by Sean Lovell, the film traces the campaign’s trajectory from informal community discussions and displays at local bus stops to high-level policy presentations at Parliament and the International AI Summit in Delhi. The documentary highlights the work of Dr Susan Oman and retired librarian Margaret Colling as they advocate for public involvement in technological governance.
"The goal is to put the public at the heart of AI decision-making," the project team noted, emphasising that technological literacy shouldn't be limited to academics and industry insiders.
Following the screening, Dr Oman, Margaret Colling, and the filmmakers will host a live Q&A panel on how ordinary citizens can shape the future of tech policy.
Check out the event page for more info. For full Festival of the Mind listings, take a look at the online programme.
For anyone unable to attend the live screening, the documentary will be streamed on the Sheffield Player following the event.