Events
at the University of Melbourne
The University is committed to hosting events and activations on its campuses in a COVIDSafe way, in accord with government restrictions and guidelines. Some of our events are presented on campus, others online – be sure to check the details. Find out more about the University’s COVIDSafe plans
Featured events
Apr
29
6:00pm
Public Lecture
‘Liberty, Fraternity and – what was the other word?’ How Equality fell off the political agenda in Australia
Presented by The Hon Barry Jones AC
‘Equality’ dropped off Australia’s political agenda in the 21st Century. Both sides of politics recognise that winning elections depends on the votes of ‘aspirationals’. So progressive taxation was dropped, education became more stratified in Australia than the US or UK, and governments moved away from ‘needs based’ policies.
A standard measure of ‘equality’ has been equal treatment under the law. However, past decades have been marked by the protection of special interests that are above the law and by the harsh treatment of those below the law. Casino owners, private schools and big miners have been in the first category; asylum seekers, public schools and Indigenous Australians in the second. Both sides of politics are tainted.
In the age of retail politics, all values have a dollar equivalent, debate is minimal and ‘truth’ purely operational. Courage, imagination, curiosity, compassion have disappeared without trace to the detriment of ‘Equality’.
What is to be done?
Jointly presented by the Melbourne Law School, Melbourne School of Government and Accountability Round Table LTD
May
4
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Launch
Machines behaving badly: The morality of AI
Can we build moral machines?
How can we ensure that AI acts for good instead of evil? Where do we draw the line between acceptable and bad behaviour?
Next in our ‘Friends of CAIDE’ series, we are proud to host Professor Toby Walsh from the University of New South Wales
Professor Walsh a world-leading researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, joins us to launch his book Machines behaving badly: The morality of AI, which explores the ethical considerations and unexpected consequences posed by AI. Is Alexa racist? Can robots have rights? What happens if a self-driving car kills someone? What limitations should we put on the use of facial recognition?
Join us to discuss the moral choices we must make in programming AI.
Download this event to your calendar using the link at the top of this page.
