THE MIRROR Week of February 7, 2024 | Vol. 51 Issue 2
Independent student newspaper
fairfieldmirror.com
“Godfather of AI Ethics” Visits Fairfield BY KATHLEEN MORRIS Managing Editor
Photo courtesy of @fusa47 on Instagram
FUSA’s recent Instagram post following the announcement of the return of Siblings Weekend during the weekend of Feb. 23 to Feb. 25. The event will include activities such as BINGO and movie night.
FUSA Announces Return of Siblings Weekend BY ERICA SCHINDLER Assistant News Editor
Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) has announced the return of Siblings Weekend for the first time since 2020. Once an annual Fairfield tradition, Siblings Weekend was canceled for several years due to Covid-19 restrictions. Now, FUSA is gearing up for the event’s return on Feb. 23, 24 and 25. “Siblings Weekend was once a traditional FUSA event that occurred annually,” FUSA President Aliyah Seenauth ‘24 said of the event. “We are hoping to bring the tradition back and keep it going from here!” The announcement was made in an email sent to students on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Included in the email were the schedules of events for the weekend and some frequently asked questions. Students must register themselves and their guests on Life@Fairfield by Feb. 12. Planned events for Siblings Weekend range from a Fairfield Flicks movie night on Friday to painting on Sunday. Stags and their siblings can also attend the women’s basketball game against Niagara at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the men’s basketball game against Siena at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The full list of planned activities for Siblings Weekend is available on FUSA’s Instagram page and can be found as a PDF in the email announcement. “We have a great lineup of events planned which include basketball pre-game programming, an obstacle course and bouncy house,
movie night, BINGO, sip and paint and much more,” Seenauth said. In addition to registration on Life@Fairfield, individual activities also require tickets. According to FUSA’s recent email, these tickets can be purchased or reserved through the Fairfield University Box Office. The deadline for online ticket sales is Feb. 21. A limited number of remaining tickets will also be available to buy starting on Feb. 23 at the Tully Information Desk. Since Fairfield’s last Siblings Weekend was during the 20192020 school year, many current students have never experienced the event for themselves. A Mirror article from 2020 describes the event as one “where siblings of all ages came to campus and engaged in a variety of activities.” The article also detailed the tradition’s events and noted that Fairfield Siblings Weekend is welcoming of siblings of various ages, with attendees ranging from young children to older teenagers. In fact, the event is also welcoming of “siblings” who may fall outside of the traditional definition of the word. Seenauth stated, “Siblings can also be interpreted as cousins or friends. Additionally, parents and guardians may attend but must also reserve tickets to events that are free.” Guests attending the event must be accompanied by a current
Fairfield student. Per university policy, those ages 15 and older can stay on campus overnight in their sibling’s dorm, townhouse or apartment. Students and their families can find additional information and stay up-to-date on Siblings Weekend by following @fusa47 on Instagram. Email fusa@fairfield.edu or call the Office of Student Engagement at 203-254-4053 with questions. Ahead of the event, Seenauth expresses her hopes for the upcoming weekend. “FUSA is hoping to bring smiles to our Stags and Stag siblings’ faces and create memories that last a lifetime!” she said. “We feel that this weekend can unify our campus community with families, and really exemplify that Fairfield is home.”
An image of robots and humans lining up to board a bus labeled with the destination, “heaven,” consumed the massive screen that backdropped Wendell Wallach as he began his Open VISIONS Forum presentation in the Dolan School of Business Event Hall on Jan. 24. As an introduction to his lecture, entitled “Hype v. Reality: Navigating the Future of AI Ethics and Governance,” Wallach described the mindset of technology optimists who believe “we are on a highway to heaven on Earth in a self-driving bus.” In startling contrast, the next slide presented a fiery hellscape with humans tucked inside a wicker bin. Wallach explained that techno-pessimists feel we are “going straight to hell in a handbasket.” Wallach, a bioethicist and author focused on the ethics and governance of emerging technologies, holds a belief system that sits between these two extremes. Humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, as we have reached an “inflection point” in human history. In his recent book, “A Dangerous Master: How to Keep Technology from Slipping Beyond Our Control,” Wallach explores the potential of new technologies to shape our future. He is unclear, however, if the outcome will be positive or negative. Wallach advises his audience to rely on their inquisitive minds, pushing them to question both the practical and moral implications of emerging innovations. After decades in the field, Wallach has earned a reputation as “the godfather” of AI ethics and governance. His lecture allowed him to showcase his vast knowledge, as well as his flair for subtle comedy. Wallach shared a quote from Thomas Watson, the founder and chairman of IBM. In 1943, Watson said, “I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.” The keenly selected statement was met with laughter, which was amplified as Wallach waved his cell phone in the air and asked who else had the same device in their pocket. Watson’s inaccurate prediction elicited chuckles, as it seems impossible to imagine a society free from technological dependence. It demonstrated the inability to foresee the future of technology, alluding to the idea that artificial
intelligence may become as ubiquitous as computers. In an interview with The Mirror, Wallach further reflected on the past. As an undergraduate at Wesleyan University, Wallach majored in the College of Social Studies. His interdisciplinary approach followed him to Harvard University. He had planned to pursue a career in law. But, he decided to accept enrollment in the Harvard Divinity School and later the Graduate School of Education. In the 1970s, Wallach traveled to India. He noted that this was an unusual choice at the time, but felt invigorated by the ideologies behind meditation and self-reflection. While there, he discovered a story in a copy of “The Futurist” magazine a friend had brought along. The article examined the promise of wealth within the field of computing, an intriguing thought in a time when the personal computer had barely gained prominence. Wallach attributed this article to his newfound interest in technology. Eventually, he purchased a word processor. His thoughts quickly materialized on the page, catalyzing his entrance into a lifetime of writing. Wallach’s awareness of social issues has laid the groundwork for his analysis of machine ethics. His discussion noted the complexities of AI as a “source of promise and productivity,” coupled with a “considerable disquiet, disquiet about the overall trajectory of the scientific enterprise.” The lecture delved deeply into a dialogue about Chat GPT, an AI chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. When Wendell asked for a show of hands from audience members who had used the application, nearly every hand flew in the air. To exhibit the curiosity-inducing output the platform can provide, Wallach asked ChatGPT to write lyrics about the Russo-Ukrainian War in the style of Bob Dylan. As opposed to simply showing the lyrics, Wallach burst into a soulful rendition of the AI’s prose. “Now, as bad as my imitation of Dylan was, you do recognize his style,” Wallach quipped. “These large language models can produce very rich content in a matter of a few moments.” Still, Wallach also
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