Saturday, June 28
10:00am - 10:45am
DEBATE SERIES: Hope or Havoc: The Future of AI and Human Freedom
The rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping everything — from the news we see to the leaders we elect. Some say AI will open up a new era of progress and possibility. Others warn it could accelerate inequality, crush democracy, and hand even more power to the people already running the world.
In this high-stakes debate, two thinkers will face off over the future we’re racing toward: Is AI a tool we can bend toward human freedom — or a runaway force that could break our society before we get the chance? What happens when algorithms outpace human values? And can humanists shape the future before it's written for us?
Debaters
Krystal Jackson
Krystal Jackson is a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, AI Security Initiative where she conducts research into the global security implications of artificial intelligence. Before this role, she worked as a Research Associate at the Frontier Model Forum, where she focused on advancing AI-cyber safety and AI security with industry leaders. Krystal also previously served as an AI Capabilities Analyst at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, driving critical AI initiatives within the Infrastructure Security Division.
Krystal's research experience includes leadership with the Center for AI and Digital Policy Research Clinic, as a Junior AI Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and as a Public Interest Technology Fellow at the U.S. Census Bureau.
Her work has been recognized at prominent venues, including the RSA Conference, Stanford’s Trust and Safety Research Conference, INFORMS, and AAAI. She is committed to addressing pressing societal issues at the intersection of technology, ethics, and security in innovative and impactful ways.
Krystal received her M.S. in Information Security Policy & Management from Carnegie Mellon University. In her free time, Krystal is an artist, hacker, and maker of electronic devices.
David Tamayo
David Tamayo is the Treasurer of the Humanist Foundation and the Founder and President of Hispanic American Freethinkers (HAFree), a 501(c)(3) organization. He was a founding board director of Camp Quest Chesapeake as well as Vice President of the Reason Rally 2016. He is, also, currently a member of the Board of Directors for Freedom from Religion Foundation as well as Treasurer for the American Humanist Foundation. He is head organizer of HAFree High School Outreach Mentor Program to Hispanic and immigrant students teaching Critical Thinking Skills and career planning in Northern Virginia. Tamayo serves as CIO for a large aerospace engineering company in Washington, DC; he has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from George Washington University as well as a master’s degree in Management in Information Systems from the University of Virginia.