<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:small"><span style="background-color:transparent"></span><b style="background-color:transparent;color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">The Institute for Ethics in Public Life invites you to join us for "Should we slow down AI development?" at 3:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 4 (in person or on Zoom), with special guests Dr. Lauren Eastwood, Professor of Sociology and Chair of Art and Design, and Dr. Michael Walters, Professor of Physics and Co-Chair of the departments of Physics and Computer Science.</b></div><div><b style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"> </b><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">In recent months there have been a rash of stories about companies losing control of their AI models. </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/tech/openai-hugging-face-ai-cybersecurity&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw0SQh1tE8r6P-10bmb_y3FR" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">OpenAI had an experimental model "escape" and hack the servers of Hugging Face</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">, another AI company. After Anthropic started to look more closely at their test data, they noticed that </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.anthropic.com/news/investigating-incidents-cybersecurity-evals&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw2ZrphtcsRx8iXGKaRrCVC2" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">their own models did similar things at least three times</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">. This triggered </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/sep/10/ai-control-sci-fi&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw3WnXwk6IVxqYyJxcVvlzkx" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">calls for shutting down AI research</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">, at least until it is possible t<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif"></span>o control new models better. </span></div></blockquote><font color="#1f1f1f" face="Google Sans, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual"><br></span></font><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Potential risks posed by AIs are not new. Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton commented on potential harms related to AI including its use for surveillance, the potential development of new bio-weapons and autonomous weapons, and the existential threat posed if we create "digital beings" more intelligent than us in his </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2024/hinton/speech/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw1u0NpuKSP1SD0ms6g4uwqw" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">2024 acceptance speech</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">. Other issues noted include the use of AI to "nudify" people (including children), hack websites, and create deepfakes of public figures to manipulate voters. </span></div></blockquote><div><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">So, what should we do? While there is widespread distrust of AI today, the </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2026/09/29/trump-touts-self-regulation-at-ai-bosses-lunch_6758086_13.html%23&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw1Ze0kH95QZi66zLdeGgrVR" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Trump administration has no interest in the government regulating AI</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"> (contrary to what the administration suggests, </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.economist.com/china/2026/10/19/does-china-really-prize-ai-speed-over-safety&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw2Yu94Px3HIZwaGHoF3bILr" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">China is regulating AI much more closely than the US</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">). In addition to political opposition from the top, it also </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://yoshuabengio.org/en/blog/why-are-ai-agents-lying-cheating-and-coordinating&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw2ZFl5zxqcipyAnBk9vcs7W" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">may not be possible to stop AI agents from lying, cheating, and coordinating with other agents</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">.  </span></div></blockquote><div><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">To help us understand these issues and more, and whether it is necessary to stop AI progress in the name of safety, at least for now, we welcome </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.plattsburgh.edu/academics/schools/arts-sciences/sociology/faculty/eastwood-lauren.html&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw2zUphN71vP_BgjR7yzr7oj" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Dr. Lauren Eastwood</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">, Professor of Sociology and Chair of Art and Design, and </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.plattsburgh.edu/academics/schools/arts-sciences/physics/faculty/walters-michael.html&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw0dJRGKgH8E1qRjFjtG_5GG" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Dr. Michael Walters</a><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">, Professor of Physics and Co-Chair of both Physics and Computer Science, to the Institute.</span></div></blockquote><div><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Please join us in person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room of the Institute for Ethics in Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom (see below). </span></div></blockquote><div><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Topic: Should we slow down AI development?</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Time: Nov 4, 2026 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)</span></div></blockquote><div><br style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap"></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border-width:medium;border-style:none;border-color:currentcolor;padding:0px"><div><span style="color:rgb(31,31,31);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">Join Zoom Meeting</span></div><div><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/85806216664&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1793811405477225&usg=AOvVaw06ttf0luKWdEk0YFQCuldA" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(11,87,208);font-family:"Google Sans",Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-variant-ligatures:no-contextual;white-space:pre-wrap">https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/85806216664</a></div></blockquote><br clear="all"></div><div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:"trebuchet ms",sans-serif;font-size:small"><b style="background-color:transparent">Institute events are posted to the Institute's public calendar <a href="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Y19sa245c3MxcjdscjExdmM0ZzNtMDlyaDUyb0Bncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2">Daniel Lake</font></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(pronouns: he/him/his)<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Professor of Political Science</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Hawkins 149A</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">101 Broad Street</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Plattsburgh, NY 12901</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(o) <a href="tel:(518)%5645833" value="+15185642217" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">518-564-5833</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">plattsburgh.edu</a></font></b><br></p></div><div dir="ltr"><img src="https://web.plattsburgh.edu/files/914/images/SUNY-Plattsburgh-Email-Logo-2018.jpg"><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>