Understanding AI: A four-part event series

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In the fall of 2025, The New York Public Library and Data & Society collaborated to present “Understanding AI,” a four-part live event series exploring the social implications of artificial intelligence and its impacts on democracy, the environment, and human labor. Featuring key figures in the AI ethics field, these events took place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) in New York City as part of the library’s 7 Stories Up program, and are now available for all to watch.

Past Events

September 5, 2025

Understanding AI: What the Public Needs to Know

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A grounding conversation about how AI technologies are reshaping daily life, featuring:

Alice Marwick

Meredith Broussard

Mimi Ọnụọha 

Suresh Venkatasubramanian

September 23, 2025

The Environmental Costs of AI Are Surging – What Now?

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A discussion of the environmental toll AI development is taking on local water supplies, energy systems, and communities around the world, featuring:

Tamara Kneese

Jasmine McNealy

Sanjana Paul 

October 29, 2025

Reorienting AI for the Public Interest 

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A critical discussion about AI accountability and the public interest, featuring:

Janet Haven

Julia Angwin

Catherine Bracy

Charlton McIlwain

November 20, 2025

Standing Up for Human Value in the AI Economy

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Our final session explored the value of human labor in increasingly automated workplaces, featuring:

Aiha Nguyen

Amba Kak

Michelle Miller

Nic Dawes

Sam Wheeler