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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260427
DTSTAMP:20260414T010854
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SUMMARY:Conference: Humanities of AI—Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis\, Johns Hopkins University\, April 24-26\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis \nInaugural Humanities of AI Workshop \nJohns Hopkins University\, April 24-26\, 2026 \nAs a creative aspiration\, the Greek notion of mimesis (“imitation”) manifested not only in artistic works imitating reality and philosophical speculations but also in scientific theories and mechanical artifacts. Plato and Aristotle’s nous as a non-bodily principle of intelligibility underwriting cosmic order and thought; Hobbes and LaMettrie’s machine like mind and world; the Jaquet-Droz family’s musical automata; Wolfgang von Kempelen’s chess-playing Turk; Norbert Wiener’s cybernetic analogy between human\, animal\, and machine; Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori’s observation of the revulsion to imperfect verisimilitude (Bukimi no Tani: “uncanny valley”); and Soviet semiotician Yuri Lotman’s culture as collective mind\, exemplify the broad relevance of “imitations” to science\, literature\, and culture. \nDevelopments in artificial intelligence (AI) participate in the legacy of mimesis but also complicate and challenge it. In the course of AI’s research history\, AIs have variously been claimed to represent\, simulate\, assist\, improve upon\, provide a surrogate for\, or replace the functioning of human minds. Concepts such as “optimization\,” “satisficing\,” and “superintelligence” run orthogonal to the classical concept of mimesis. \nAt the same time\, developments in science and society have deeply challenged both mimesis and mindedness as concepts and ideals. Darwinian and embodied cognitive approaches challenge the primacy of abstract reasoning over embodiment; and reflections on human labor’s relation to material (re-)production\, social stratification\, and human experience from Marx\, Wallerstein\, Pasquinelli and others call into question the social “value-added” of material imitations as well asthe veracity of accounts of “intelligent” labor’s nature and origins. Deep divisions in the societal uptake of AI – exemplified in anti-AI activism\, dueling governance regimes\, and popular criticalslang like “AI slop” – exemplify and give opportunity to inform these theoretical challenges.Orientation to these developments requires approaches that scholars in the humanities may beuniquely positioned to provide. We hereby announce a three-day workshop on “Intelligence and Imitation: Mind\, Mechanism\, Mimesis” for presentation and discussion of new humanities research engaging with this theme. \nOur aim is to foster a collective critical engagement with AIs in their history\, socioeconomic context\, architecture\, and other dimensions of significance with the assistance of resources from literature\, philosophy\, history\, or other humanities fields. We invite contributions from both early-career (including graduate students) and established academic researchers\, whose work-in-progress projects straddle disciplinary boundaries to illuminate aspects of the diverse mind-machine relations exemplified in AI’s history\, current reality\, and imagined futures. \nIn addition to presented papers\, some time at the conference will be devoted to reflection on “humanities of AI” as a research domain\, including its current state and possible futures\, disciplinary articulation\, conditions of success\, relations with natural and social sciences\, and potential impact on sociotechnical systems involving AI. \nFeatured Speakers  \nYulia Frumer\, Bo Jung and Soon Young Kim Professor of East Asian Science\, Johns Hopkins University; Author of “Cognition and emotion in Japanese humanoid robots\,” History & Technology (2018) and Making Time: Astronomical Time Measurement in Tokugawa Japan (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2018) \nN. Katherine Hayles\, Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California\, Los Angeles\, and the James B. Duke Professor Emerita from Duke University; Author of Bacteria to AI: Human Futures with Our Nonhuman Symbionts (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2025)\, Unthought: The Power of the Cognitive Nonconscious (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2017) and How We Think: Digital Media and Contemporary Technogenesis (Univ. of Chicago Press\, 2015) \nMatthew L. Jones\, Smith Family Professor of History\, Princeton University; Author (with Chris Wiggins) of How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms (Norton\, 2023) \nMatthew Kirschenbaum\, Commonwealth Professor of AI and English\, University of Virginia; Author of Bitstreams: The Future of Digital Literary Heritage (Univ. of Pennsylvania Press\, 2021) \nPatrick McCray\, Professor of History\, University of California\, Santa Barbara\, Kluge Chair in Technology and Society (2025) at the Library of Congress (2025); Author of README: A Bookish History of Computing from Electronic Brains to Everything Machines (MIT Press\, 2025) \nAlexander Williams Tolbert\, Assistant Professor of Data and Decision Sciences\, Emory University; Author of “Why Causal Inference is Necessary for Algorithmic Fairness\,” Synthese (2025) and “Causal Agnosticism about Race: Variable Selection Problems in Causal Inference\,” Philosophy of Science (2024). \nSupporting Institutions \nAlexander Grass Humanities Institute\, Johns Hopkins \nUniversity\n(https://krieger.jhu.edu/humanities-institute/) \nCenter for Equitable AI & Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS)\, Morgan State \nUniversity\n(https://www.morgan.edu/ceamls) \nOrganizing Committee \nJiantong Liao (Chair) \nPhD Student\, German Program\, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures \njliao20@jh.edu \nKsenia Tatarchenko (Faculty Sponsor) \nFaculty\, Medicine\, Science & Humanities Program\, Johns Hopkins University \nktatarc1@jh.edu \nPhillip Honenberger (Faculty Sponsor) \nAI Ethicist & Researcher\, Center for Equitable AI & ML Systems (CEAMLS)\, Morgan State \nUniversity \njaywilliam.honenberger@morgan.edu
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-humanities-of-ai-intelligence-and-imitation-mind-mechanism-mimesis-johns-hopkins-university-april-24-26-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260424
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260428
DTSTAMP:20260414T010854
CREATED:20260127T000412Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T064808Z
UID:10001826-1776988800-1777334399@pil.law.harvard.edu
SUMMARY:Conference: American Society for Premodern Asia Annual Meeting\, Los Angeles\, CA\, April 24–27\, 2026
DESCRIPTION:From the organizers: \nThe 236th Meeting of the American Society for Premodern Asia will be held Friday\, April 24\, 2026 through Monday\, April 27\, 2026\, in Los Angeles\, CA USA.  \nHotel and Reservations: A block of conference-rate accommodations has been reserved at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza\, 251 South Olive Street\, Los Angeles\, CA 90012 USA. \nThe conference rate per night for rooms is $249-$309. Occupancy tax is 16.22%. Hotel’s check-in time is 4:00 pm; check-out time is 12:00 noon. \nYou must make reservations directly with the hotel well in advance of the meeting\, no later than Monday\, April 6\, 2026. After the cutoff date\, any uncommitted rooms in the block we have reserved will be released for general sale\, and additional reservation requests will be accepted if rooms are available and without the conference discount. The conference rate also applies 3 days prior and 3 days after the conference\, based upon availability. \nReservations may be made by phoning the hotel at 1-800-THE-OMNI (general Omni number) or (213) 356-4070 (Direct). You need to identify yourself as a member of the AOS/ASPA and mention “American Oriental Society/American Society for Premodern Asia 2026 Conference” and the date the room block begins\, which is April 22\, 2026. It is also possible to reserve by visiting our customized Group Web Page. \nThe Society’s contract with the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza for securing conference rates requires that a minimum number of rooms per night be reserved and occupied by members for the duration of the meeting. Thus\, your stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza assures that the ASPA will not be assessed extremely high fees for meeting and banquet space rental. We truly need your cooperation in this matter. \nDirections\, Parking\, and Transportation: \nTravel\, Directions\, etc. \nAll sessions will be held at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza. The Annual Subscription Banquet and Presidential Address will take place on Sunday evening\, April 26\, also at the hotel. The Program\, which will be accessible online in late January 2026\, will provide information on other special activities and events to take place during the meeting. \n\nPAYMENT OF 2026 MEMBERSHIP DUES AND MEETING PRE-REGISTRATION FEES \nOnline Dues and Meeting Pre-Registration Payment: \nPay 2026 dues online at: \nAOS/ASPA Membership Dues \nNOTE: In October\, AOS/ASPA members will receive email notice that they should pay 2026 membership dues by the 31 December 2025 deadline. Members may renew membership at any time by viewing their Profile page and finding on the right side: \n“Your Membership is not yet due for renewal. If you want to renew early\, click here” \nPre-register at: \nREGISTER HERE FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING \nNote: If you prefer to submit dues or registration payment by check or credit card and send payment by post\, you may use this 2026 Dues Registration Form
URL:https://pil.law.harvard.edu/event/conference-american-society-for-premodern-asia-annual-meeting-los-angeles-ca-april-24-27-2026/
CATEGORIES:conferences and workshops
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