– Advances in artificial intelligence raise new questions about the future of humanity. But what will AI mean for faith? And how could faith shape AI?
Queen Anne Lutheran Church in Seattle is exploring this topic in a series of forums under the theme, Digital Apocalypse: Will AI Destroy Us, with the next installment taking place this Sunday Sept. 29. The event features a talk by Dr. Ted Peters, Director of the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences in Berkeley, followed by a panel discussion that includes GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and church members Tim Porter of Madrona Venture Group and Aaron Boysen.
Rev. Dan Peterson, the church’s pastor, will round out the series on Sunday Oct. 6 with a talk on the “Faith of Droids,” exploring how the sense of mission and purpose in R2-D2 (Star Wars: A New Hope) and K-2SO (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) could provide a model for faith to shape AI in this world. Carissa Schoenick of the Alan Institute for Artificial Intelligence spoke previously in the series.
– LEGO has been a mainstay of children’s toys for more than 80 years. And lots of us still enjoy them as adults. Let’s face it. The $800, 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon wasn’t really designed for kids. BrickCon is a place where LEGO fans, both kids and adults, can celebrate their hobby. Taking place Saturday Oct. 5 and Sunday Oct. 6 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, the convention combines showcases of some fan creations as well as a bazaar where attendees can purchase new and old sets, as well individual pieces and minifigs.
Here are more highlights from the GeekWire Calendar:
- 2019 Triangle Venture Expo: A conference where startups can meet venture capitalists at The Centennial Hotel in Spokane; 12 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3.
- Talk Tech with London: An event where investors and civic leaders can meet with the Mayor of London’s International Business Tech Mission to discuss the expansion of British companies into Seattle at WeWork Labs in Seattle; 5 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3.
- Ignite #40: An event where multiple people give five-minute presentations on a variety of topics at The Great Hall in Seattle; 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3.
- Fundamentals for Startups: Building and Funding a Hardware Business: A talk about strategies for hardware businesses at CoMotion Labs at the University of Washington in Seattle; 12 to 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4.
- VELOCITY: Synthesizer Trade Show: An event about the latest technologies in digital music and instruments at Substation 645 in Seattle; Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6.
- GeekWire Summit: Our flagship technology conference, featuring presentations and discussions with some of the top leaders in tech at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle; Monday, Oct. 7 through Wednesday, October 9.
- Canadian Tech Networking Reception: An event where startups can learn about business opportunities in Canada at Lane Powell in Seattle; 4 to 7 p.m., Monday, Oct 7.
- ZeekWeek 2019: A conference for developers who use Zeek networking technology at Hilton Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square; Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Friday, Oct. 11.
- Navigating an Uncivil Work Environment: A presentation about how employees and managers can deal with challenges in the workplace at General Assembly in Seattle; 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9
