2019-2020 Creative Thought Forum Series Addresses the Future of Work

Aug 9, 2019

It will become increasingly useful to view all of the people and computers on our planet as part of a single global mind, and I think that our future as a species may depend on how well we are able to use our global collective intelligence to make choices that are not just smart but are also wise. —Thomas Malone

The School for Advanced Research is pleased to announce the third annual Creative Thought Forum series. Across lectures and conversation-style salons, SAR and community partners invite our members and the public to explore our understanding of where humanity is going in a new age of technological and cultural shifts under the thematic umbrella of “The Future of Work.”

In a world increasingly dominated by automation and artificial intelligence, what kinds of jobs will be left for humans? If, as some experts are predicting, nearly half of the positions currently held by American workers are at risk of being made obsolete in the next few decades, how will our institutions and communities adapt, and what role does cultural heritage play in the ongoing conversations about our shared future?

The series begins on October 16, 2019, with Thomas Malone, the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence. In 2004 Malone summarized two decades of research in his critically acclaimed book The Future of Work. His newest book, Superminds, appeared in May 2018 and presents new insights into the power of collective intelligence and collaborative working in a world of quickly changing new technologies.

Malone has noted, “Many people today are talking about artificial intelligence and computers as essentially competition for humans—computers vs. people. From a long enough perspective, things in the future will be done by a combination of people and computers. Instead of drawing a circle around people and one around the machine and trying to determine which one is better, we should draw one circle around the human and the machine together and figure out how to make that combination as good as possible.”

The kickoff lecture is presented at the Santa Fe Convention Center and in partnership with Innovate+Educate as part of the annual CLOSE IT Summit, a global gathering of innovators in education and technology.

“We are so pleased to collaborate with SAR for the launch of ‘The Future of Work’ series. Thomas Malone’s talk will fit in perfectly with the CLOSE IT Summit. We are pleased to have the attendees of the summit have this opportunity to be part of the Creative Thought Forum.”

— Jamai Blivin, Innovate+Educate founder and CEO

The series continues into 2020 with Creative Thought Forum speakers examining trends in social sciences and related fields that address where we are headed in the realm of work. From advances in archaeology to the economics of equality, the series offers a broad look at how we move forward in a changing world.

Each Creative Thought Forum talk is paired with a speaker-led salon discussion the morning after the lecture. Hosted at SAR, the salons are free to SAR members and offer lively face-to-face engagement with these influential writers and scholars.

Advance registration is required for the salons with priority registration given to Chaco-level members (register by emailing archuleta@sarsf.org) and up and registration is encouraged for the lectures (registration links for each event are below).

2019 – 2020 CREATIVE THOUGHT FORUM SERIES SCHEDULE AND DETAILS

Thomas Malone
Superminds: The Surprising Power of People and Computers Thinking Together
Santa Fe Convention Center // Santa Fe

Lecture: Wednesday, October 16, 2019 // 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Salon: Thursday, October 17, 2019 // 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Founding director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, Thomas Malone presents on how intelligence exhibited by groups of people and computers working together is changing education and economics.

REGISTER FOR THE LECTURE HERE

REGISTER FOR THE CLOSE IT SUMMIT HERE

Thomas Malone

This lecture is sponsored by Descartes Labs, Dan Merians UBS Financial Services, First National 1870, Santa Fe Dining and KUNM 89.9 FM.

Presented in partnership with

Ruth Van Dyke
Chaco Landscapes: Sensory and Political Engagements with Place
Linda S. Cordell Lecture
St. Francis Auditorium // New Mexico Museum of Art // 107 W. Palace Ave. // Santa Fe

Lecture: Thursday, February 13, 2020 // 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Salon: Friday, February 14, 2020 // 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Archaeologist Ruth Van Dyke shares insights into social, political, and sensorial relationships across the greater Chaco landscape, past and present. She explores how archaeologists can work together with Native peoples to influence the public understanding of contemporary economic/extractive projects, including those in northwest New Mexico.

REGISTER FOR THIS LECTURE HERE

Ruth Van Dyke

This lecture is sponsored by New Mexico Bank and Trust, Daniels Insurance, Santa Fe Dining, Dan Merians UBS Financial Services, First National 1870, Shiprock Santa Fe and KSFR 101.1 FM..

Presented in partnership with

Glenn Shepard
Turning the Lens: Brazil’s Kayapo Communities’ Use of the Warrior Image
James A. Little Theater // 1060 Cerrillos Road // Santa Fe

Lecture: Thursday, March 26, 2020 // 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Salon: Friday, March 27, 2020 // 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Glenn Shepard is the ethnology curator at the Goeldi Museum in Belém do Pará, Brazil. Shepard, an ethnobotanist and anthropologist, presents on work by Kayapo communities who use their warrior image and outside power symbols to combat—via film and new media approaches—the rise of mining and logging projects on Indigenous lands.

REGISTER FOR THIS LECTURE HERE

Glenn Shepard

This lecture is sponsored by Shiprock Santa Fe, Santa Fe Dining, Daniels Insurance, and First National 1870.

Ankur Gopal
What It Takes to Solve America’s IT Skills Gap
James A. Little Theater // 1060 Cerrillos Road // Santa Fe

Lecture: Thursday, April 9, 2020 // 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Salon: Friday, April 10, 2020 // 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Ankur Gopal is the founder of Interapt, an award-winning IT services firm that implements innovative technologies and develops IT workforce training. Interapt’s IT apprenticeship models are being implemented across the nation. Their team is now leading a ten-year plan to help Kentuckians build a sustainable technology ecosystem. His talk explores how families traditionally linked to coal-mining culture are grappling with the need for changing skills in the twenty-first century and the impact of economic inequality on access to training and education.

REGISTER FOR THIS LECTURE HERE

Ankur Gopal

This lecture is sponsored by Descartes Labs, Dan Merians UBS Financial Services, and Shiprock Santa Fe.

ANNUAL PRESIDENT’S LECTURE

Robert Krulwich
Why Things are the Way They Are
The Lensic Performing Arts Center // 211 W. San Francisco Street // Santa Fe
Special ticket pricing applies

Lecture: Thursday, May 28, 2020 // 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Salon: Friday, May 29, 2020 // 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Co-host of NPR’s Radiolab, Robert Krulwich is one of the most original and widely listened to broadcasters in the world. His series, Radiolab, explores “big ideas” and the mysteries of science and life through visceral storytelling. In his talk, Krulwich draws from decades of experience as a special correspondent for ABC News; his regular contributions to Nightline, ABC News Tonight, and Good Morning America; and his role as host and executive editor of PBS’s documentary series NOVA scienceNOW to share insights on where technology can take us and why communities trust the sources they do when it comes to information about potential futures.

registration for this talk is not yet open.

Robert Krulwich

This lecture is sponsored by Michele Cook & John Camp, and Descartes Labs.

Presented in partnership with

About the School for Advanced Research (SAR): Founded in 1907, the School for Advanced Research (SAR) is one of North America’s preeminent independent institutes for the study of anthropology, related social sciences, and humanities. SAR is home to the Indian Arts Research Center, one of the nation’s most important Southwest Native American art research collections. Through prestigious scholar residency and artist fellowship programs, public programs, and SAR Press, SAR advances intellectual inquiry in order to better understand humankind in an increasingly global and interconnected world. Additional information on the work of our resident scholars and Native American artists is available on the SAR website, www.sarweb.org; on Facebook, facebook.com/schoolforadvancedresearch.org/; on Twitter, @schadvresearch; and on Instagram @schoolforadvancedresearch.

About CLOSE IT 2019: CLOSE IT is in its seventh year. This annual summit comes to Santa Fe after being hosted in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington DC. CLOSE IT brings together forward-thinking leaders from across corporate, education, human resources, technology, philanthropy, and workforce worlds to address the CRITICAL SHIFT in the future of working and learning equity. This year’s summit will focus on blurring the lines between traditional learning and work. We continue to drive action on equity and shifting our economy to a greater emphasis on skills—the technologies and innovations that are at the forefront of change. This summit is produced by nonprofit Innovate+Educate, based in Santa Fe and working internationally.