**Dear SIGCIS - We hope you'll join us for our upcoming webinar series called Robotics and AI: New Perspectives, convening online Nov 1-4, 2022. Our all-star panelists include several folks well-known to the SIGCIS community, including Meredith Broussard, Andrew Meade McGee, Edward Jones-Imhotep, Timnit Gebru, and David Mindell. Hope you can join us! Eric Hintz Robotics and AI: New Perspectives A four-day webinar series convened by the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation<https://invention.si.edu/> November 1, 2, 3, and 4, 2022 | 1:00-2:30pm ET daily FREE Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/robotics-and-ai-new-perspectives-1194879 Details: https://invention.si.edu/robotics-and-ai-new-perspectives

From industrial robots to Siri, and autonomous vehicles to C-3PO, we have integrated robots and artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives. But automated, intelligent systems also create new risks and concerns. Many observers fear that robots and artificial intelligence will take our jobs, eliminate our digital privacy, and put our society at risk. Join the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for Robotics and AI: New Perspectives, a FREE four-day webinar series exploring the social benefits, negative impacts, & future prospects for innovations in robots & artificial intelligence.

Tuesday November 1, 1:00-2:30pm ET SESSION 1: IMAGINING SMART MACHINES: BETWEEN FACT AND SCIENCE FICTION Explores the common bonds between science fiction and modern engineering practice in robots and AI. Welcome: Arthur Daemmrich<https://invention.si.edu/arthur-daemmrich>, Director, Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Jennifer Rhee<https://english.vcu.edu/people/faculty/rhee.html>, Associate Professor, Department of English, Virginia Commonwealth University Christopher G. Atkeson<http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~cga/>, Professor, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Sarah Dillon<https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/people/Sarah.Dillon/>, Professor of Literature and the Public Humanities, University of Cambridge Moderator: Margaret A. Weitekamp<https://airandspace.si.edu/people/staff/margaret-weitekamp>, Chair and Curator, Space History Department, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Wednesday November 2, 1:00-2:30pm ET SESSION 2: INFORMING THE PUBLIC: MEDIA AND MESSAGING ON ROBOTS AND AI Considers the role of professional communicators in shaping narratives about robotics and AI. Nikolas Noel<https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolasnoel>, Director of Marketing & Communications, Boston Dynamics Khari Johnson<http://www.kharijohnson.com/>, Senior Writer, WIRED Meredith Broussard<https://merbroussard.github.io/>, Associate Professor, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York Univ. Moderator: Andrew Meade McGee<https://www.andrewmeademcgee.com/>, Curator of Computing, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Thursday November 3, 1:00-2:30pm ET SESSION 3: COLLABORATING WITH MACHINES: CHANGING DEFINITIONS OF AUTOMATION Examines the lessons that history holds for our current and future collaborations with machines. Cynthia Breazeal<https://www.media.mit.edu/people/cynthiab/overview/>, Director, Personal Robots Group, MIT Media Lab Dawn Nafus<https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/research/researchers/dawn-nafus.html>, Anthropologist and Senior Research Scientist, Intel Edward Jones-Imhotep<https://www.edwardjonesimhotep.com/>, Associate Professor and Director, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Toronto Moderator: Carlene Stephens<https://americanhistory.si.edu/profile/512>, Curator, Division of Work and Industry, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Friday November 4, 1:00-2:30pm ET SESSION 4: REPLACING HUMANS? THE FUTURE OF WORK Asks, will a robot take my job? And is that a bad thing? Bran Ferren<https://www.linkedin.com/in/bran-ferren-477339141/>, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Applied Minds Timnit Gebru<https://www.dair-institute.org/about>, Founder and Executive Director, The Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute David Mindell<https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mindell-09025a23/>, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing, MIT Moderator: Arthur Daemmrich<https://invention.si.edu/arthur-daemmrich>, Director, Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Accessibility: The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. CART captioning will be available for the online program. Additional accommodations are available upon request; please email nmahprograms@si.edu<mailto:nmahprograms@si.edu>. Recordings? Yes - after the series concludes, captioned recordings will be posted to the event website<https://invention.si.edu/robotics-and-ai-new-perspectives> and the Lemelson Center YouTube channel<https://www.youtube.com/user/LemelsonCenter>. FREE Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/robotics-and-ai-new-perspectives-1194879 Media Contact: Laura Havel, Public Affairs Specialist, Lemelson Center, HavelL@si.edu<mailto:HavelL@si.edu> _________________ Eric S. Hintz, PhD (he/him), Historian, Lemelson Center Office +1 202-633-3734 | Mobile +1 610-717-7134 |@EricSHintz Email hintze@si.edu<mailto:hintze@si.edu> | americanhistory.si.edu<http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/> | invention.si.edu<http://www.invention.si.edu/> Author, American Independent Inventors in an Era of Corporate R&D<https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/american-independent-inventors-era-corporate-rd> (MIT Press, 2021) Editor, Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives<https://invention.si.edu/sites/default/files/Lemelson-Center-Black-Inventors-Innovators-Report-updated-2021-10.pdf> (2021) Co-editor, Does America Need More Innovators?<https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/does-america-need-more-innovators> (MIT Press, 2019)