Join Professor of Anthropology Gareth Barkin for an examination of large language models and embedded worldviews. Barkin leverages decades of research on Indonesian media and society to explore how systems like ChatGPT and Claude "think" when they're speaking non-English languages. The talk investigates the mechanics of "epistemological persistence," demonstrating how LLMs impose an Anglo-American lens regardless of the language of output.

Interested in learning more about the state of the local economy? Join us for a discussion of the Pierce County Economic Index (PCEI), an economic report produced by Puget Sound Economics faculty analyzing local cost of living, sources of economic uncertainty, potential impacts of AI, and more.

The discussion will be led by student journalists of The Trail and will feature a panel of Economics faculty.

AI and Privacy aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, technologists, and policymakers to examine the rapidly evolving challenges and possibilities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and data sharing. The symposium explores how the algorithmic turn is reshaping longstanding privacy concerns, from biometric and biological data (“bioprivacy”) to creative and cultural domains. Sessions will investigate emerging privacy risks, shifting social norms, and the ways AI is transforming what counts as private, knowable, and controllable.

A talk by Nita Farahany.

We’re in an era where the lines between technology and the human mind are increasingly blurred. Imagine a world where your thoughts, feelings, and unspoken words become an open book, where doctors can catch disorders long before symptoms start to develop—or your boss can monitor your thoughts at work.