DR KARL LIVE AT CITY HALL

Artificial intelligence, artificial idiocy, or probability machine?

Artificial Intelligence was born in 1956, went through some awkward teenage years (also known as “AI Winters”), and then — to almost everyone’s surprise — came roaring back with tools like ChatGPT. Today, AI is the fastest-growing industry in the history of capitalism and devours around 20% of the world’s R&D budget. That’s a lot of brainpower (artificial or otherwise).

Join Dr Karl as he connects the dots between the tech booms of yesterday — from the family car to the first home computers — and today’s mind-bending AI explosion. Along the way, he’ll share how AI has been used to both attack and discredit him, and how he’s now turning the tables to make it a Force for Good.

Expect real science stuff, genuinely funny (not artificially generated) stories, a few unexpected detours and — of course — question time with prizes.

This session is part of the Beaker Street Main Stage at Hobart City Hall. Your House Band for the evening will be the dangerously well-rehearsed Stevie and the Bunsen Burners. Enter through Market Place, where you'll find drinks, food, fires, and friendly strangers. Come early, stay late to enjoy all the action.

Buy tickets to 3 or more Main Stage sessions and receive 15% off those events!

DR ALEXANDRA PATON Alex is a conservation biologist and science communicator with a passion for weird and wonderful wildlife.

DR KARL  Dr Karl is a science superfan with degrees to spare, 47 books under his belt, and a mission to make the wonders of the universe impossible to ignore.