About this Event
Esalen Institute Presents:
HUMAN FUTURES: PRESERVING HUMAN POTENTIAL IN THE AGE OF AI– Illustrated lecture by Esalen’s Sam Stern
Artificial intelligence can be extraordinarily useful, creative, and powerful. As it becomes more deeply embedded in our lives, however, it also raises questions about what we may be outsourcing, weakening, or losing along the way.
Drawing from his work at the Esalen Institute and the history of the human potential movement, Sam Stern considers the history of the Human Potential Movement: the enduring importance of embodiment, authentic relationship, community, somatics, agency, creativity, and direct experience — qualities that may become more valuable, not less, as intelligent machines become more capable.
Bio: Sam Stern is a Senior Content Creator at Esalen Institute and host of the million-download podcast Voices of Esalen, where he’s interviewed voices shaping psychology, spirituality, and culture, including Sonya Renee Taylor, Richard Schwartz, Michael Pollan, Bayo Akomolafe, and Stanislav Grof. Sam is a cum laude graduate of Brown University, where he received the William J. Weston Award for excellence in Film and Video. At Esalen, he frequently teaches on human-centered AI, guiding others to approach emergent technologies with curiosity, critical thinking, and play.
Tickets: $15 advance / $20 at the door.
Event venue & nearby stays
Small Theater, 155 River Street South, Santa Cruz, United States
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