In this talk, computer scientist Cal Newport ’04 draws from his recent reporting on this topic for The New Yorker to explain how the latest innovations in AI actually work; separating the impacts we really should worry about from those that are mainly hype.

Newport is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University. His scholarship focuses on the theory of distributed systems, while his general-audience writing explores intersections of culture and technology.

He is the author of seven books including, most recently, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work. These titles include multiple New York Times bestsellers and have been published in 40 languages. Newport is also a contributing writer for The New Yorker and the host of the Deep Questions podcast.

Newport will be a visiting faculty member in the Department of Computer Science.