Artificial intelligence researcher, author and humorist Janelle Shane will deliver the Mossman Distinguished Lecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. The lecture, "The Weirdness of AI: What It Can Do and What It Can't Do," is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged to plan for adequate overflow space.

Shane is the author of the 2019 book, "You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How AI Works, Thinks and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place," which uses cartoons and pop-culture experiments to make AI and machine learning accessible and entertaining. Her blog, AIweirdness.com, offers a humorous perspective on AI.

Shane is also recognized for her work as a research scientist in Colorado, where she develops computer-controlled holograms for brain studies and other light-steering devices. She has been featured on the main TED stage; in publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, WIRED and Popular Science; and on public radio programs including "All Things Considered," "Science Friday" and "Marketplace." Named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business and an Adweek Young Influential, she became the Smithsonian's first Futurist in Residence in 2022.

The Mossman Distinguished Lecture Series was created in 2015 and is made possible by an estate gift from the late Ken and Blaire Mossman, who met in Knoxville in 1968 while pursuing their degrees at UT.

In 2018, the university dedicated the Ken and Blaire Mossman Building in their honor. The building is designed for collaborative research and features the latest in teaching technology.

The registration link for the lecture can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Cindi King (865-974-0937, [email protected])