Introducing MIT Technology Review Roundtables, real-time conversations about what’s next in tech

On August 10, MIT Technology Review is launching Roundtables, a participatory subscriber-only online event series, to keep you informed about emerging tech.

Subscribers will get exclusive access to 30-minute monthly conversations with our writers and editors about topics they’re thinking deeply about—including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate change, tech policy, and more. (If you’re not yet a subscriber, become one today and save up to 17%.)

The first Roundtables event, The AI economy, will feature David Rotman, MIT Technology Review editor at large, in conversation with editor in chief Mat Honan. They will discuss David’s recent coverage on the economic implications of large language models like ChatGPT and US efforts to reshore the chip industry and, more broadly, to create innovation hubs. 

There is little doubt that generative AI will affect the economy—but how, exactly, remains an open question. Despite fears that these AI tools will upend jobs and exacerbate wealth inequality, early evidence suggests the technology could help level the playing field—but only if we deploy it in the right ways. Likewise, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips Act both have huge implications for the economy, and for efforts to revive America’s high-tech manufacturing base. Rotman and Honan will look at who stands to benefit from these transformative economic events, and what the risks are. 

Then, on September 12, our next edition of Roundtables will tackle another important question: How should we regulate AI? Charlotte Jee, news editor, and Melissa Heikkilä, senior reporter for AI, will discuss the state of AI regulation today and what to watch for in the months ahead.

Europe’s AI Act focuses on creating guardrails for “high-risk” AI used in health care and education systems. In the US, a patchwork of federal regulations and state laws govern certain aspects of automated systems, while work on a federal framework remains in the early stages. Meanwhile, the OECD has set forth a set of nonbinding principles for AI development, and new industry standards are also taking shape. Heikkilä and Jee will walk subscribers through these and other approaches, mapping out the landscape of proposed policies that aim to redirect AI toward serving societal goals or address potential biases that put people at risk. 

If you’re a subscriber, check your email for details on how to register for both events. (Or subscribe now to save up to 17%.) We hope you’ll join us as we explore what’s happening now and what’s coming next in emerging technologies.