Nearly 50 years ago, Understanding Computers and Cognition challenged the foundational assumptions of artificial intelligence, arguing that the traditional “Good Old-Fashioned AI” (GOFAI) approach was bound to fail. Today, as AI advances in ways few could have predicted, it is time to revisit these critiques.
Co-author Terry Winograd, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University’s Computer Science Department, will examine how the original anti-representational arguments hold up in the age of deep learning and large language models. While today’s AI achieves remarkable successes, its methods remain fundamentally disconnected from human concerns and meaning. What does this mean for the future of AI? How should we—technologists, policymakers, and society—engage with AI’s outputs responsibly?
Join this thought-provoking session moderated by SSIR‘s David V. Johnson for a deep dive into the philosophical and practical implications of AI’s evolution and its challenges for human-centered technology.