Dr. Latanision, who previously taught at MIT and now serves as the first Senior Fellow at the consulting firm Exponent, shared insights from his extensive experience in engineering, academia, and industry consulting. His talk explored how technology has historically played a crucial role in fields such as medicine, energy, climate change, and education. He emphasized that while innovation has driven significant progress, it continues to bring challenges that require thoughtful and responsible management.

The discussion heavily focused on the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), a technology that Dr. Latanision described as both transformative and disruptive. While GenAI offers tremendous opportunities, it also poses significant risks. Unlike earlier technologies such as the telephone or automobile, GenAI represents a shift that could fundamentally alter human interaction and societal structures. He warned that if not carefully managed, the rapid advancement of such technologies could lead to an unprecedented erosion of public trust in science and technology, impacting society in lasting ways.

The event concluded with an open conversation, giving attendees an opportunity to discuss how engineers and technologists can better navigate the relationship between innovation, responsibility, and societal impact.