Hope College Hosts Brent Orrell as Guest Lecturer on the Age of AI
The advancement of artificial intelligence, expansion of data centers and speculation over an AI-driven jobs crisis have left many uneasy about what comes next. Questions such as "How will AI affect my career prospects?" and "Will AI help or harm human flourishing?" have become common in schools and the workforce alike.
Mr. Brent Orrell will explore these questions during a free lecture, on Mon., Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in
Graves Hall on campus, addressing “Work, Dignity and the Liberal Arts Education in
the Age of AI.” The lecture is open to the community.
He will examine the intrinsic value of labor, the necessary skills in the knowledge economy and why now — more than ever — the generalist approach of a liberal arts education is vital in developing the professionals of the future.
Orrell is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in AI and the future of work, economic mobility and noncognitive skills. He previously served as vice president of ICF International, acting deputy director for the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and as a chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Orrell’s lecture is co-sponsored by: the AEI Collegiate Network, Hope College’s Political Science and Economics & Business departments, and the college’s Pre-Law Society and the Alexander Hamilton Society student organizations.