Purdue community invited to attend the Aronson Keynote exploring the human labor behind modern AI

Purdue staff, students and instructors are invited to attend a keynote speech and discussion exploring the power of AI in our modern world and delving into the hidden workforce of human labor behind the demands of continually evolving AI systems. Registration is available online.

The keynote, sponsored by the Aronson family and part of the annual Aronson Family Science and Society Series, will occur at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 29 at Honors Hall, HCRN 1066.

Siddharth Suri, a senior principal researcher working for Microsoft Research, will be delivering the keynote. As a leader in designing and conducting "virtual lab" experiments, Suri was able to turn his computational social science research into a full study of the workers who power many modern apps, websites and AI systems.

Pictured: Students and faculty from across Purdue sit together during the 2023 Aronson keynote lecture

Katie Jarriel, clinical assistant professor and Aronson faculty chair within the John Martinson Honors College, said Suri was selected as the speaker because his work appeals to an interdisciplinary reach, which is a key focus of the college.

“His research has examined the way that AI and big tech companies are founded on human labor, and how this often goes unnoticed by the general public,” Jarriel said. “We think of the technology, but we sometimes lose focus on the humans who are doing all of the fundamental work to create these tools. Dr. Suri’s work also bridges industry and the university.”

Through presenting his combined qualitative and quantitative research findings, Suri’s keynote will shed light on how ghost workers have managed to build their own collaborative network, the lengths workers must go to find good sustainable work and where the power ultimately lies in the ever-changing market for artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future

The theme of this year’s Aronson Family Science and Society Series is artificial intelligence. With the major tech companies continuing to devote resources to the development of AI, questions are arising about AI’s use. Students are wondering how AI will affect their university education and lives after graduation, and instructors are aware of the impact AI is having on the operation of classes as the technologies continue to progress. The question stands: what will the future of AI entail?

“I have a lot of students who are interested in going into AI and tech industries but are hesitant about some of the ethical issues associated with it,” Jarriel shared. “They fear becoming cogs in the machine themselves, and they recognize that when things like innovation and speed are prioritized, ethics can sometimes go out the window. They have a lot of questions about how they can engage in this field that they’re passionate about but do so in a way where they can be socially responsible.

“I think that Dr. Suri’s work can help us start to solve those problems, or at least think of solutions rather than just worrying.”

Pictured: Members of the Purdue community populate the Honors Hall during the 2023 Aronson keynote lecture

In addition to the Aronson Keynote, staff, students and instructors are invited to register for the “How We Think” panel discussion, which will occur the day before the keynote and will feature Suri and four other speakers discussing the future of AI. The panel discussion will be held on Feb. 28, 5:30 p.m. at Honors Hall, HCRN 1066.

About the Aronsons

This event is made possible through the generous donation of the Aronson family, longtime supporters of the John Martinson Honors College. Each spring, the Aronson gift enables the JMHC to host notable speakers in a science-related field for broader discussion and engagement within the Purdue community.

Owen Hughes

Communication Assistant for Teaching and Learning, hughe357@purdue.edu