Imagining and building wise machines
When
06 May 2026
11:00 - 13:00 CET
Where
Online and Sala Belvedere, Villa Schifanoia
Via Boccaccio 121 - 50133 Florence
Although AI has become increasingly smart, its wisdom has not kept pace. In this talk, Prof. Igor Grossmann examines what is known about human wisdom and sketch a vision of its AI counterpart.
Although AI has become increasingly smart, its wisdom has not kept pace. In this talk, Prof. Igor Grossmann examines what is known about human wisdom and sketches a vision of its AI counterpart. The presentation analyses human wisdom as a set of strategies for solving intractable problems-those outside the scope of analytic techniques-including both object-level strategies like heuristics [for managing problems] and metacognitive strategies like intellectual humility, perspective-taking, or context-adaptability [for managing object-level strategies].
Grossmann argues that AI systems particularly struggle with metacognition; improved metacognition would lead to AI more robust to novel environments, explainable to users, cooperative with others, and safer in risking fewer misaligned goals with human users. The presentation discusses how wise AI might be benchmarked, trained, and implemented. As discussant Prof. Claire Boine will bring her expertise on the governance of AI, and including the fairness, power, and manipulation of digital systems.
At the EUI and the Robert Schuman Centre, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for everyone. Please indicate your accessibility needs, if any, on the registration form. Alternatively, you can contact the event logistics organiser.
Links
Contact
Mia Saugman
Send an emailScientific Organiser
Gaby Umbach
European University Institute
Mira Manini Tiwari
European University Institute
Speaker
Igor Grossmann
University of Waterloo
Discussant
Claire Boine
European University Institute