Open to the public:
Friday, May 22, 2026
Gar Bergstedt presents:
What is Being Human in the Age of Intelligence?
A 90-minute visual presentation
NOTE: When you submit your RSVP, you will not receive an email confirmation, but you will see a pop up that says “Thanks, we received your RSVP!”
LOCATION: Avalon, 6185 Arapahoe Rd., Boulder, Colorado 80303
TIME: Noon – 2:30 pm (doors open at 11:30 am)
COST: $20 cash/check at door
Bring a “brown bag lunch” if you like; drinks are provided.
Abstract:
As artificial intelligence grows capable of reasoning, creating, and even rewriting the genetic code we’re made of, a profound question emerges: what does it mean to be human now — and what will it mean tomorrow?
Drawing on the Being Human in 2035 report by the Imagining the Digital Future Center — a survey of nearly 300 global technology experts — this presentation explores how AI is predicted to reshape twelve core human capacities by 2035, from deep thinking and emotional intelligence to individual agency, moral reasoning, and our sense of identity and purpose.
But the story doesn’t stop at how we think and feel. AI can now manipulate DNA at a foundational level — designing new biological organisms, eliminating genetic disease, enhancing human cognition and strength, halting aging, modifying behavior, and even integrating itself with human biology through neural interfaces and bio-digital hybrids. The presentation maps a spectrum of biological futures from cure to construct and asks: if everything about us can be edited, what is the original? If AI enters the body, where does “you” end and “it” begin?
Across seven parts, the presentation moves from the arrival of AI through what machines cannot replicate — felt experience, embodied existence, moral struggle, personal meaning — to the promise and peril of human-AI collaboration, the biological frontier, and ultimately, the question of what we choose to protect and nurture in ourselves.
Designed for a general audience, the presentation uses bold visuals, large imagery, provocative single-line statements, and built-in discussion moments rather than text-heavy slides. It is philosophical in tone, grounded in current research, and structured to provoke thoughtful conversation rather than deliver definitive answers.
The machines are getting better. So should we.
Bio:
I’m a retired Senior Software Engineer and Physicist. I’ve been evolving with computers for over 50 years. I started using AI programming techniques in the mid-70’s and followed the advancements since then. In my career, I worked with personal to mainframe computers. I learned all the major Operating Systems and many languages, from ASM to scripting. I even had my own company for 12 years. Since I retired, I’ve been researching the advancements in AI. I believe AI will change all of us at a fundamental level. I hope we are ready…