Will AI End Humanity? Risk, Reality, and the Choices Ahead
Thursday, October 29, 2026 • 1–5 p.m.
University Hall, Alexander G. Ruthven Building
1109 Geddes Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Predictions about artificial intelligence range from extraordinary advances in health, science, and education to widespread job displacement, diminished human agency, and even threats to humanity itself. Which concerns demand urgent attention? Which claims run ahead of the evidence? And where do people have the power to shape what comes next?
This latest event in the University of Michigan AI Summit Series will bring together scholars and experts with sharply different perspectives for a candid discussion of AI’s immediate and long-term risks, its potential benefits, and the responsibilities of universities, governments, technology companies, and individuals.
Panelists will examine the strongest arguments on multiple sides, including what increasingly powerful foundational models can and cannot do, who controls the data on which AI depends, and how data sovereignty should inform our decisions. They will consider how society can respond without becoming complacent or giving in to panic. The goal is not to predict an inevitable future, but to explore the choices needed to advance human-centered AI while keeping people, public purpose, and trust at the center of its development and use.
Panels
Panel 1: Will AI End Human Life as We Know It? Existential Risk or Unrealistic Hype?
Panelists examine AI risks, from present-day harms to longer-term threats and potentially catastrophic scenarios. They explore what increasingly capable foundation models can and cannot do, where the evidence is strongest, what remains uncertain, and how AI’s potential benefits should factor into the discussion.
- Thomas Wang (Moderator)
Dr. Thomas Wang is dean of the U-M Medical School and chief academic officer of Michigan Medicine. His research focuses on cardiovascular disease prevention, biomarkers, and the role of the natriuretic peptide system in cardiovascular health. - Nikola Banovic
Nikola Banovic is an associate professor of computer science and engineering in the College of Engineering. His research focuses on human-computer interaction and human-centered AI, including how explanations of AI systems can improve AI literacy among people without computer science backgrounds. - Chandra Sripada
Chandra Sripada is a professor of philosophy in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. His research explores agency, self-control, ethics, and moral psychology, combining philosophical inquiry with findings from psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. - Kentaro Toyama
Kentaro Toyama is the W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information in the School of Information. His research examines the relationship between digital technology and social change, including AI’s impact on society. - Salomé Viljoen
Salomé Viljoen is an assistant professor in the Law School. Her research examines the law and political economy of data and AI, including how law shapes digital life. She teaches courses on contracts, privacy, commercial surveillance, and data governance.
Panel 2: Who Shapes AI’s Future: Agency, Accountability, Responsibility
This panel examines how universities, governments, technology companies, NGOs, individuals, and society can shape AI’s development and promote its ethical, appropriate use. Topics include data sovereignty, human agency, laws and governance, and the responsibilities of organizations that develop or deploy AI.
- Ravi Pendse (Moderator)
Ravi Pendse, Ph.D., is vice president for information technology and chief information officer at the University of Michigan, where he serves as an executive officer and provides university-wide leadership and strategic direction for technology. He is a clinical professor of engineering practice in electrical engineering and computer science. Dr. Pendse also serves as U-M’s first-ever Special Advisor to the President for India. - Nazanin Andalibi
Nazanin Andalibi is an associate professor in the School of Information. Her research examines how computing intersects with emotion, identity, power, and justice. Her NSF CAREER award supports research on the ethical, privacy, and justice implications of emotion AI technologies in high-stakes contexts. - David Hess
David Hess is the Everett E. Berg Professor of Business Administration and a professor of business law in the Ross School of Business. His research examines corporate accountability, business and human rights, anti-corruption efforts, and the role of compliance and ethics programs in organizational culture. - Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis is the John R. Anderson Collegiate Professor of Psychology, Linguistics and Cognitive Science in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. His research develops computational theories of human and artificial minds, with a focus on language, memory, decision-making, and learning. - Barb McQuade
Barb McQuade is a professor from practice in the Law School. Her interests include criminal law, national security, data privacy, and civil rights. Before joining U-M, she served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, the first woman to hold that position.