At this year’s Comm Lead Connects event we brought together industry experts, students, alums and community members for a candid conversation about artificial intelligence and other emergent technology.

What we learned is that AI and other “futuristic” tech is already here, and has great potential to improve lives. But if deployed carelessly, it will instead amplify historic biases and inequity.

At the end of the day, our call to action was strong:

We need a new breed of communication leaders to guide our companies and institutions through this critical transition, and to ensure these tools empower rather than harm.

Video recorded at Comm Lead Connects, January 25, 2019

Sponsored by UW Communication Leadership, WE Communications, and Varvid

Comm Lead Connects Event Producer: Molly Schachter

Video Produced & Edited by Alex Stonehill

Camera by Shantelle Liu, Aaron Good & Alex Stonehill

A/V Production & Livestream Mix by Richard McLean for Varvid

Production Support by Megan Jeffrey, Graphics by Tommy Ferguson

Additional Editing by Daley Wilhelm

Student & Alumni Interviewees: Skip Moody, Jeannette Magsino, Will Oberst, Olivia Hall, Juancho Misa, Victoria Pinheiro, Rhonda Aronwald & Alex Montalvo.

Presenters: Noelle LaCharite, Vinay Narayan, Shankar Narayan, Matt Ashworth, Angela Pham, Jasmine Ty, Claudia Chang, Kerry Schimmelbusch, Carolyn Adolph & Joshua McNichols

Executive Producer: Hanson Hosein