Immersive, Interactive Exhibit, A.I. VERSUS HUMANITY launches at and in partnership with London Design Biennale for A.I. thought-leadership Forum at Somerset House

Life Calling and its founder, John Mack, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the U.S. Embassy, to present a Forum on June 13, 2023 | 13:00-17:30 pm

LONDON, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the initial launch of Life Calling's immersive exhibition, A Species Between Worlds: Our Nature Our Screens at London Design Biennale, Founder and artist, provocateur and global lecturer, John Mack will host The Global Game: Remapping our Nature in the Digital Age at London Design Biennale for A.I. thought-leadership Forum at Somerset House on June 13, at blank time.

This afternoon Forum of thought-leadership programming is focused on the rising tide of AI and the urgent need to empower what it means to be human.

Following his recent US address at Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centred AI in California, John Mack and his non-profit, Life Calling, will take the London stage with lectures and discussion exploring the human relationship with existing and emerging digital technologies. Themed "AI will never surpass our humanity", Mack will extend his unique stance on such complex issues on humanity and psychology vis a vis the digital age. Says Mack, "We need to pivot the conversation around AI. The question is not whether AI will learn compassion or realize consciousness, but rather will humanity learn compassion and realize consciousness. The rise of AI is prompting us to take a deeper look into the digital mirror to better reflect on what it means to be human. The threat is not AI per se, but rather the failure to empower our humanity during such times. Today's global community shares a massive opportunity, one we can all take advantage of in order to prevent AI from taking advantage of us."

Mack will join other panel discussion leaders also at the event including Edgar Meij (Head of AI - Search & Discovery, Bloomberg), Chloe Westly (Mental Health Campaigner, Speaker & Former Advisor to the Prime Minister). Juan Jose Lopez Murphy (Head of Data Science & AI, Globant), Ai-Da (humanoid artist robot), Stella Win-yan Long (Head of Learning, The Design Museum), Andy Haldane (CEO, Royal Society of Arts), Lucy Kennedy (Chief Executive, National Saturday Club), among others.

Bringing together over 45 exhibition teams from across the world, London Design Biennale, now open at Somerset House, demonstrates the ability of design to bring people together and enact change. Exhibitors have tackled a range of pressing global issues, including conversations around the future of AI. "We are so pleased to host John Mack, who will discuss these important questions and what they mean for our own humanity." -Victoria Broakes. Adds Mack: "Life Calling has shown up to London Design Biennale with a twist on how we think of design. Our inner design is what shapes all outer design. You can't separate the design from the designer, the creation from the creator. So the question is, Given the rise of AI, how can we position ourselves deeper in our humanity in order to ensure that our designs of the future support human thriving rather than undermine it?"

"As artificial intelligence becomes entangled with society and billions of lives around the globe," says Tristan Harris, Co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, "it is absolutely essential that we call on a collective of organizations to collaborate in bold and innovative ways to increase awareness on AI issues. We must meet this moment in rallying the general population to unite around both the challenges and opportunities AI is posing for humanity. John Mack's nonprofit, Life Calling, is entering the field as a leader and convener on this front, and we are delighted to be partners in this movement." - Tristan Harris, Co-founder, Center for Humane Technology Director, London Design Biennale.

Founded only in 2001 by Mack, Life Calling has emerged as a leading convener for the empowerment of humanity vis a vis the increasing rise of digital dependence. Its signature programme, A Species Between Worlds: Our Nature, Our Screens, is currently housed in the USA Pavilion of London Design Biennale for the month of June. A Species Between Worlds is an immersive art experience and awareness-raising forum which debuted in NYC in September 2022, supported in part by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Visitors to a boutique version of the installation at London Design Biennale can be immersed in various worlds, where Mack's real-world images from over 45 US National Parks are juxtaposed with a custom augmented reality (AR) app, exploring who we are in relation to our environment in light of the encroaching digital landscape.

For press inquiries, please contact Lauren Adair on laurena@blj.co.uk or 07790 358 683

Forum Information

Open and free to the public, The Global Game: Remapping our Nature in the Digital Age will run from 13:00 – 17:30 on 13th June. Free tickets can be reserved at: https://www.aspeciesbetweenworlds.com/ldb-forum/ Media Interviews Available Contact: Kathryn Morrissey, Managing Director, Life Calling +1 917 226 8267 | kmorrissey@life-calling.org

About John Mack

John Mack is an artist, photographer, author, lecturer and the founder of the non-profit Life Calling. Mack is a 2022 honouree of The Explorer's Club 50: Fifty people changing the world who the world needs to know about. Mack also serves as a board member of Fairplay, an organisation that strives to create a world where kids can be kids, free from the false promises of marketers and the manipulations of Big Tech. He currently lives between London and New York.

About Life Calling

Founded in 2021, Life Calling responds to the increasingly eroding boundaries between humanity and technology. Its fundamental mission is to preserve our humanity in the Digital Age. These digital times call us to meet the rising digital tide in a shared vision of our humanity and its future. Life Calling assists in answering this call through expanding self-awareness. This is achieved through educational programming rooted in immersive experiences across the arts, culture, and nature, inclusive of publications and self-learning tools—each fostering and catalysing a more balanced, nuanced and thoughtful perspective as we navigate the Digital Age. life-calling.

About London Design Biennale

Established in 2016 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Biennale promotes international collaboration and the global role of design. Since its inception the Biennale welcomes the world's most exciting and ambitious designers, innovators and cultural bodies to the capital.

The fourth edition of London Design Biennale will take place from 1 to 25 June 2023, artistically directed by the Nieuwe Instituut—the Dutch national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture. Taking over the entirety of Somerset House, including the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, participants from across the globe will be invited to imagine and enact new forms of international cooperation and participation—including with each other—through the medium of design.

London Design Biennale's International Advisory Committee and Jury includes: Paola Antonelli, Victoria Broackes, Aric Chen, Es Devlin OBE, Nipa Doshi, Ben Evans CBE, Marva Griffin Willshire, Suhair Khan, James Lingwood MBE, Prof. Jeremy Myerson, Tosin Oshinowo, Jonathan Reekie CBE, Rashid and Ahmed bin Shabib, Sir John Sorrell CBE, Dr. Christopher Turner.

londondesignbiennale.com