Science Fiction Science: Facing the challenges of Artificial Intelligence

The UQ AI Research Network was delighted to host guest speaker Professor Iyad Rahwan, Director, Max Planck Institute for Human Development. This session was organised by the Network's Human Centred AI focus area, and hosted by Professor Tim Miller. 

Iyad explored 'science fiction science'—a novel approach using experimental simulations to predict and guide the societal impacts of emerging technologies like AI before they become reality.

"It was fantastic to hear Iyad speak about the ideas behind the Science Fiction Science method, especially its emphasis on near-future, plausible technology. I also loved how he brought the MIT Moral Machine project to life, a project I have often discussed with students when teaching Responsible AI. It was great hearing not just how the project began, but how it grew into a global research effort involving millions of people. And Iyad’s ‘Evil AI’ cartoons made it even better!." Dr Caitlin Curtis, Research Fellow UQ Centre for Policy Futures.

For emerging researchers, the talk offered a compelling framework to proactively shape the future of technology by integrating social foresight and experimental methods into early-stage innovation.

"As a designer navigating the world of academic research, Iyad’s creative methods and striking insights into human behaviour around emerging technologies were nothing short of inspiring. Pulling off research that involved thousands of respondents with a genuinely multidisciplinary team is impressive alone, but beyond that, there was much to learn from the way he connected years of research into a compelling narrative with clear-cut concepts." Dice Yukita, PhD researcher, Interaction Design.

Our thanks to Iyad for visiting The University of Queensland and sharing this excellent presentation.

If you'd like to join future seminars and events hosted by the UQ AI Research Network, subscribe to our mailing list via uqai@uq.edu.au 

Event Details

Talk Title

Science Fiction Science: Facing the challenges of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Can we predict the social and behavioral impacts of future technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, while they are still being developed in scientific labs, or even when they are just imaginations in the minds of a science fiction writer? Such prediction would allow us to guide development and regulation of technologies before their impacts get entrenched. This talk by Professor Iyad Rahwan from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, describes 'science fiction science’ (sci-fi-sci), the use of experimental methods to simulate future technologies, and collect quantitative measures of the attitudes and behaviors of participants assigned to controlled variations of the future. Iyad will present various recent sci-fi-sci projects aimed at anticipating the societal impacts of Artificial Intelligence, and discuss the potential and limitations of this form of science.

Speaker Bio

Prof. Iyad Rahwan is director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, where he founded and directs the Center for Humans & Machines. He is also an honorary professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Technical University of Berlin. Prior to moving to Berlin, he was an Associate Professor of Media Arts & Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A native of Aleppo, Syria, Rahwan holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Program

• 5:30pm Arrival and registration
• 5:40pm Welcome and Introduction, Professor Tim Miller
• 5:45pm-6:45pm Guest Speaker: Professor Iyad Rahwan, Talk and Q&A session
• 6:45pm-7:30pm Networking
• 7:30pm Event close