BETHLEHEM, Pa. — One of the founders of the world's largest technology company and the founder of a groundbreaking online news site will headline Lehigh University's 2025-26 Compelling Perspectives program, it was announced.
Steve Wozniak, who in 1976 with Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer, and Ariana Huffington, who founded HuffPost, will be headliners.
The theme for this year's series will be "AI: Innovation, Responsibility and the Future We Shape."
Huffington will kick off the series at 5 p.m. Sept. 23 in Zoellner Arts Center with a discussion with Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble. Space is limited and registration is required on the Lehigh website by Sept. 15.Lehigh University release
It will focus on the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence "and what the future holds in an AI-powered world," Lehigh said in a news release.
"Discussions will examine the opportunities AI presents while confronting the challenges that arise when profit and progress move faster than policy and ethical considerations."
Huffington will kick off the series at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Zoellner Arts Center with a discussion with Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble.
Space is limited and registration is requiredon the Lehigh website by Sept. 15.
Huffington "will participate in a discussion focusing on the human side of AI, delving into its impact on humanity and who is responsible for shaping its future," Lehigh said.
A brief audience question-and-answer period will follow.
Huffington founded Huffington Post in 2005, and in 2012, it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize.
In addition, Huffington in 2016 founded Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company with the mission of improving health outcomes and productivity, and now is its chief executive officer.
She also has written 15 books, including international bestsellers “Thrive” and “The Sleep Revolution.”
Wozniak to speak Jan. 29
Wozniak, a Silicon Valley icon, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist for more than 40 years, helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, which were integral in launching the personal computer industry.
He will speak on Thursday, Jan. 29, on "the evolving landscape of AI and its impacts." More information will be released closer to the date.
In 2017, Wozniak co-founded Woz U, a postsecondary education and training platform focused on software engineering and technology development.
The Compelling Perspectives series launched in 2023 as "a forum for civil discourse on critical issues affecting society. The program was designed to amplify varying viewpoints on timely topics shaping our world," according to Lehigh.
Organizers said the topic of AI is part of a broader conversation this academic year at Lehigh, "as we explore through various programming the impact of generative AI on higher education and institutions, including Lehigh; research; the job market; and more."
