Artificial intelligence may operate in the digital world, but it leaves a massive and very real physical and societal footprint. What does AI’s rapid growth mean for the future of humanity? How can it be steered towards a more prosperous future for all?
The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts will host a series of four events, the AI & Society Series, to bring together scholars, practitioners, industry leaders, and the Georgia Tech community to explore some of the most consequential questions surrounding artificial intelligence and their potential solutions. Through the interdisciplinary lens of the liberal arts, the series will examine AI's physical infrastructure, its influence on research and discovery, its evolving role in human relationships, and its impact on creativity and creative industries.
“Considering technology from a humanistic perspective has never been more necessary,” said Amand Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. “AI has so much potential to be positive and transformational, but we should prioritize understanding and mitigating the challenges it creates in its wake.”
The series will kick off with “We, the People, and AI: The Future of Data, Energy, Health, and Human Rights” on Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the John Lewis Student Center’s Walter G. Ehmer Theater. This event will explore the infrastructure behind AI — from data centers and energy consumption to environmental and societal impacts.
Panelists include Wendy H. Wong, Professor, University of British Columbia – Okanagan Campus; Caroline Gwynn Monagle, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, R1 RCM; and Marilyn A. Brown, Regents and Brook Byers Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
Wong’s research examines global governance, technology, human rights, and civil society. Her book We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age explores how Big Data and artificial intelligence challenge traditional understandings of human rights and won the 2024 Balsillie Prize for Public Policy.
Monagle leads strategic initiatives at R1 RCM, a healthcare technology and services company, in an industry undergoing rapid technological transformation. A Georgia Tech alumna, Monagle’s leadership experience at the intersection of healthcare, technology, strategy, and organizational change brings an industry perspective to the conversation about AI's impact on health and society.
Brown’s research examines energy policy, efficiency, electricity systems, clean-energy technologies, and resilience, providing critical expertise on the rapidly growing relationship between artificial intelligence, energy demand, infrastructure, and sustainability. Before joining Georgia Tech, she held leadership roles at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and later served as a presidentially appointed member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board.
Upcoming events in the AI & Society Series include:
AI and Academic Research: The Future of Discovery
Wednesday, Nov. 4 | 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center – Grand Ballrooms
AI, Human Empathy, and Relationships: Is AI a Better Partner?
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2027 | 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Historic Academy of Medicine
AI and Creativity: Creative Industries in Flux
Wednesday, April 14, 2027 | 6:30–9:00 p.m.
Walter G. Ehmer Theater (Atlantic)
Artificial intelligence may operate in the digital world, but it leaves a massive and very real physical and societal footprint. What does AI’s rapid growth mean for the future of humanity? How can it be steered towards a more prosperous future for all?
]]>Declan Abernethy, a lecturer in the School of History and Sociology, joined the latest episode of Generating Buzz to share his insight into how the scope and scale of the World Cup compares to events of the past, how the city’s capacity to host “mega-events” has changed since the 1996 Olympic Games, and expectations for the visitor and viewer experience.
Abernethy teaches courses at the intersection of sport, history, and science and technology studies, with an emphasis on the culture and community around soccer.
Listen to the full podcast on the GT News Center website.
]]>If history tells us anything, it’s the right place at the right time.
“This team steps into a void,” said Declan Abernethy, lecturer in Georgia Tech’s School of History and Sociology. “It’s nice to see women’s soccer be valued as a commercial spectacle and exciting for fans in Atlanta.”
Atlanta holds a place in women’s soccer history as host of the 1996 Summer Olympics, where the U.S. Women’s National Team won its first gold medal — the introduction to women’s soccer for many Americans.
Since then, the soccer ecosystem has expanded exponentially, in Atlanta and beyond. Atlanta United began playing in 2017, winning the MLS Cup in its second year as a franchise.
Arthur Blank, who owns Atlanta United and the Atlanta Falcons and purchased the rights for the new women’s team, paid $165 million for this expansion team. Just two years ago, that cost was nearly a third. The total investment will ultimately be more than $330 million. But as Abernethy points out, the purchase price and timing show that this is a serious endeavor.
“It shows Blank is a smart business owner — he’s willing to invest in doing things the right way,” said Abernethy, who has studied and published about both Atlanta United and the U.S. Women’s National Team. “In five years, this team could be a leader in how it is run and how it spends money. We have such a strong legacy of professional women’s soccer in Atlanta and so much youth talent, it could get very competitive.”
It’s not the first time a women’s soccer team has made its home in Atlanta. The Atlanta Beat played at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium in the early 2000s, and the Atlanta Silverbacks Women followed.
Since those attempts, Atlanta has welcomed a professional men’s team in Atlanta United, along with its ATL UTD 2 reserve team and extensive youth development programs. A $50 million contribution from Arthur Blank is helping build a new home for U.S. Soccer south of the city in Fayetteville with the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center.
“It’s hitting at this opportune time with the U.S. training facility, sparks of excitement for the men’s national team, a strong run by the women’s national team with players from Atlanta, and six World Cup games being hosted in Atlanta next year. It could have a nice impact on the soccer ecosystem here,” said Kirk Bowman, Regents’ Entrepreneur and professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
Bowman also points to the culture that has grown from Atlanta United and the infrastructure that supports it. Team flags adorn houses, the BeltLine and MARTA connect in-town fans to a downtown stadium that is surrounded by new development at the Gulch — not to mention a growing pool of legacy soccer players around the metro area, and the surrounding perennial success of ACC women’s soccer teams.
“You’ve now had cohort after cohort of female soccer players of all ages, and families with mothers and daughters who have played soccer and are eager to go to games,” he said. “If they brand it correctly, there’s a lot of enthusiasm and a built-in audience that loves the game.” The WNBA also had record-high viewership last year, with its most-watched game garnering nearly 3 million viewers, demonstrating the increasing popularity of women's professional sports.
The team also enters an open market for fans, without another professional women’s team nearby. Abernethy notes that it takes time to build economic success and fandom, and with more than 50 years of women’s soccer now played, it may have finally hit its stride.
]]>He replaces Alasdair Young, professor and Neal Family Chair in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, who has served as interim associate dean since April 2024. Winders will collaborate with human resources and the faculty affairs team this summer to ensure a smooth transition.
“Bill’s deep experience with faculty issues and his devotion to shared governance and non-tenure track faculty make him an exciting addition to our College’s leadership team,” said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Regents’ Professor, and Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in Liberal Arts and Technology. “I’d also like to express my appreciation to Alasdair Young for his excellent work as interim associate dean over the past two years.”
As associate dean for faculty development, Winders will advise the dean, the college’s executive leadership team, and department/school chairs on matters related to faculty affairs. He will also support the needs of the faculty community and provide resources, mentorship, and leadership that promotes advancement of tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and research faculty, as well as research and teaching postdoctoral fellows.
Winders has many years of experience in administration, leadership, and the Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) process. In HSOC, he served as the director of undergraduate studies from 2008 to 2014 and the director of graduate studies from 2014 to 2020. He has also served on HSOC’s RPT committee since 2009 and currently serves as the chair of the HSOC RPT Committee. He also serves as the Georgia Tech representative to the University System of Georgia Chief Academic Officer Advisory Group for Sociology.
Winders has chaired several faculty search committees and was involved in shaping and conducting the annual evaluation process for faculty.
A political sociologist, Winders’ research focuses on national policies, social movements, and inequality in a global context. His courses include Introduction to Sociology, Food and Society, Sociology of Development, and Social Movements. In addition to many journal articles and book chapters, he has written two books and co-edited one book. He is currently working on two projects aimed at producing book manuscripts – one examines the global meat industry and the other focuses on global food crises in historical perspective.
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