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2026 Annual Fall Lectures: Agency & AI — Lecture Five
The Rotman Institute of Philosophy is pleased to present the 2026 Annual Fall Lecture Series:
"Agency & AI"
What does human agency mean in a world where AI systems are becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life? Where does human agency begin and end? What are the risks and impacts of treating AI as agents? Can AI systems be designed to support and strengthen human agency and capacity-building rather than replace or diminish them?
This year's series brings together leading scholars and thinkers to explore these and related questions from a range of perspectives. Join us each Thursday in October for five engaging lectures examining one of the most important philosophical issues of our time.
As part of the Rotman Institute's commitment to public philosophy, each lecture will be hosted at a different venue across London. These community-based events are designed to bring together scholars, industry professionals, students, community organizations, and members of the public for thoughtful conversations that connect philosophical inquiry with contemporary challenges and everyday life.
Speaker: Alice Huang, Yadira Lizama-Mué, and Eleanor Laffling
Date: October 29th
Time: 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Location: McIntosh Gallery, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street
For part-five of the 2026 Annual Lecture Series, the Rotman Institute of Philosophy is partnering with the McIntosh Gallery to offer an an exciting program of casual yet informative exhibition walkthrough.
Special guests from across campus and the broader community will respond to McIntosh Gallery's current exhibition, Three Dimensions, from their unique perspectives. This Insight Out session features expertise from the fields of computer science, philosophy, architecture and public arts programming, digital humanities, data science, and artificial intelligence. Light refreshments will be provided.
Alice Huang is an assistant professor and the Duncanson Chair in Ethics and Technology at Western University, jointly appointed in computer science and in philosophy. Her projects fall into two broad categories. The first kind of project connects formal results in artificial intelligence research to ethical issues related to interpretability, collaboration and fairness. The second kind of project uses formal and computational models to investigate pressing issues in our social discourse today, such as questions about misinformation, scientific practices and polarization.
Eleanor Laffling is an Intern Architect with architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson, an architectural researcher, professor and curator. Her interest is in the intersection of architecture, public space and research. With a background in archives, editorial work and gallery practice, she brings a critical and interdisciplinary perspective to the built environment. Eleanor holds a Master of Architecture and undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Toronto
Yadira Lizama-Mué is an Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities at Western University and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Digital Peace Research supported through Horizon Europe Pillar II. She is a Computer Science Engineer and holds a PhD from Western University, with specializations in Scientific Computing and Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction. Her research interests focus on human-centred AI design, computational approaches to the humanities and peace research, and AI-mediated teaching and learning. She is an active member of the Women in AI international non-profit network, contributing to initiatives that promote women’s participation, leadership, and visibility in artificial intelligence and the tech industry.