Get the Facts about Artificial Intelligence

Escaping news about artificial intelligence is impossible, especially now. Will it serve the public well or offer something sinister? Fortunately, the Press Club of Southwest Florida has found someone who can explain what AI is, and what it means for journalism, truth, trust and the way we live and work. Dr. Leandro de Castro Silva will be the featured speaker at the Press Club’s Newsmaker Luncheon on Thursday, October 8, at Vi at Bentley Village. Dr. de Castro Silva is a full professor in Florida Gulf Coast University’s Department of Computing and Software Engineering and founding director of Dendritic: A Human-Centered AI and Data Science Institute. His research encompasses artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science, including practical applications in health care, education, business and the environment. His credentials are extensive. Dr. de Castro Silva has authored five books, published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and led large-scale health-care AI initiatives in Brazil. Since 2020, he has been recognized among the world’s top 2% of researchers based on citation-impact measures. He is also a member of FGCU’s AI Council, which is helping the university develop a strategic and ethical approach to artificial intelligence. But this luncheon will be about more than computers and complicated technology. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of society’s information infrastructure. It increasingly determines what information people encounter, helps create and summarize the words and images they consume, and influences how they make decisions. For journalists, communicators, authors and academics, that raises urgent questions: Can we trust AI-generated information? How will AI affect journalism and the people who practice it? Will it strengthen reporting, or accelerate misinformation and make convincing falsehoods nearly impossible to detect? Who is accountable when an AI system gets something wrong? There are also opportunities. AI could help journalists analyze enormous databases, examine public records, recognize patterns and uncover stories that might otherwise remain hidden. The challenge is learning where AI can assist human judgment—and where it should never replace it. Dr. de Castro Silva’s human-centered approach makes him especially well-suited to lead that conversation. He can help Press Club members separate genuine technological advances from the hype, understand what AI can and cannot do, and consider what may be coming next. AI is already here. The important question now is what we are going to do with it. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m., opening remarks begin at noon, and the event ends at 1:30 p.m. PARKING INSTRUCTIONS: Enter at the main gate. The guardhouse will have a list of attendees. Give your name and tell them you are attending the press club luncheon at the East Clubhouse, also known as the private dining room, the Bentley Room. Park in the main big parking lot. If you have special dietary needs, let us know via email to [email protected].