In the 2026 Wiegand Memorial Foundation Lecture (Feb 23, 2026), Teresa Heffernan delved into the question of how discussions of a technological future change if the AI industry co-opts fiction. From Alan Turing to Douglas Adams to Demis Hassabis, the fiction and science of AI have long been entangled and conflated in the cultural imaginary.
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Four fascinating talks at the University of Toronto’s public workshop, “Intelligence in the Absence of Life,” are now available on video. Delivered to a packed audience on April 9, 2024, these talks put the so-called human-like properties of AI under the microscope and raised questions concerning the meaning of creativity, intelligence, and ethics today. Hosted
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— A forthcoming talk by Teresa Heffernan The era of “disruptive” technologies has given way to an ethical quagmire. Biased algorithms, invasive facial recognition software, proprietary black boxes, the theft and monetization of personal data, and the proliferation of hate-spewing bots and deepfakes have undermined democracy. Killer robots and the automation of war have led
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— Video The Big Thinking public panel on the social implications of AI, held at the Halifax Public Library on November 14, was a lively and well attended event. The discussants included Teresa Heffernan, Ian Kerr, Fuyuki Kurasawa and Duncan MacIntosh, with Howard Ramos (Dalhousie) as moderator. A video recording of the event is now
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