On April 4-5, the China Forum for Civilizational Dialogue brought together Chinese and Western thought leaders to explore the implications of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution for the human person and society.
The seminar, hosted by Santa Clara University and cosponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, convened a dozen scholars from China, the United States, and Europe, to examine how revolutionary changes in communications, transportation, and other areas are positing challenges for Christian, Confucian, and other religious and secular traditions.
Key questions for discussion included: What dangers and opportunities does the rise of AI pose for the human person and human communities? Does AI threaten or enhance the capacity of humans for self-reflection and meaningful relationships—in the family, friendships, and society at large?
Participants
- Bai Tongdong, Dongfang Chair Professor of Philosophy, Fudan University
- Thomas Banchoff, vice president for global engagement, Georgetown University
- Daniel Bell, dean, School of Political Science and Public Administration, Shandong University
- Brian Green, director of technology ethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University
- Li Silong, professor of Buddhist philosophy, associate dean of the Faculty of Humanities, and director of the Center for Buddhist Education and Research, Peking University
- Peng Guoxiang, Distinguished Professor of Chinese Philosophy, Intellectual History, and Religions, Zhejiang University
- Julie Rubio, professor of social ethics, Santa Clara University
- Antonio Spadaro, S.J., editor-in-chief, La Civiltà Cattolica
- Tan Sor Hoon, professor of philosophy, Singapore Management University
- Paul Tighe, secretary, Pontifical Council for Culture
- Shannon Vallor, Regis and Diane McKenna Professor of philosophy, Santa Clara University
- Wang Pei, assistant professor, The China Institute, Fudan University
- Robin R. Wang, Robert H. Taylor Chair in Philosophy and director of Asian Pacific Studies, Loyola Marymount University
Founded in 2018, the China Forum for Civilizational Dialogue is a collaboration between Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) and La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome). In August 2018 the Forum convened Chinese and Western educators at the University of San Francisco to address the future of humanities education in a global era. In December 2018 the forum brought journalist Thomas Friedman (New York Times) and professor Wang Jisi (Beijing University) to Rome at La Civiltà Cattolica for a dialogue about the global ecological crisis.