New service for the Science Bar
The Bar des Sciences, Montpellier’s premier science culture event organized by the University of Montpellier’s Science Culture Department, is back for a new season. The first public participatory debate will take place on January 25 at 8:30 p.m. at Le Dôme brasserie. The theme of the evening? “Should we be afraid of artificial intelligence?” And the rest of the season will follow each month…
Regulars are now familiar with the format: from January through June, the University of Montpellier hosts a monthly participatory public forum where scientists from all disciplines engage in dialogue with the audience. Admission is free, and the events take place in the welcoming setting of Le Dôme brasserie, a long-standing partner of this event. Following a 2023 marked by the emergence of ChatGPT, the first event of the season—taking place on Thursday, January 25 at 8:30 p.m.—features a hot-button topic: “Should we be afraid of artificial intelligence?”
Season Kickoff
Just as the steam engine and electricity did in the past, artificial intelligence is transforming our world and our society, making it one of the most strategic technologies of the 21st century. Consumer giants, as well as manufacturers of tech products, home appliances, and cars, are systematically integrating AI into their products. It lies at the heart of the medicine of the future, industry, the banking and insurance sectors, defense, and aerospace. As for the arrival of generative AI, it is revolutionizing our relationship with machines and fueling an endless debate between technophiles and technophobes.
So should we fear AI, or should we embrace it? To answer this question, four experts will engage in a discussion with the audience:
- Alain Chavanieu, researcher atthe Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules;
- Mathieu Lafourcade, researcher at the Montpellier Laboratory of Computer Science, Robotics, and Microelectronics (LIRMM);
- David Morquin, hospital physician and medical director of the Center for Research and Integration of Digital Health Tools (Erios) at Montpellier University Hospital;
- Joseph Salmon, a mathematics researcher atthe Alexander Grothendieck Institute in Montpellier and a junior member ofthe Institut universitaire de France.
The season is co-produced by the UM’s science communication departments and its partners: INRAE, INSERM, and IRD.
This event is part of the Halles de l’IA series.
One meeting per month
The public can visit the Science Bar every month at Le Dôme brasserie to enjoy the new program offered by the University of Montpellier’s Office of Science Communication and its scientific partners:
- February 29: Palavas Underwater: Science Fiction or Reality?
- March 14: A healthy gut microbiome for a healthy mind?
- April 25: Agroecology: Adaptation Challenges Related to Climate Change.
- May 16: Horses from Yesterday to Today: A Whole History!
- June 13: Biodiversity: The Migration of Animal and Plant Populations Since the Dawn of Time.
- Find the full program on the Bar des Sciences website .