Our Evidence and Values Based Decision Making course offers a transformative approach to strategic decision making, equipping participants with tools to enhance personal and organisational decision making skills.

This is the eighth seminar in the Future Challenges series of Critical Thinking and Values-based Leadership.

Democracy is not neat, easy, or guaranteed. It is under assault around the world from old foes such as ignorance and dictatorships, and new foes such as digital media misinformation and AI bots. This seminar will examine the explosion of large language models such as ChatGPT, the difficulty of being able to discern what is true, and the value of social cohesion and governance. With moderators:

• Neil Jacobstein - Chair AI & Robotics Singularity University, Aspen NZ Director

• Sinead Boucher - CEO and owner STUFF Ltd

• Miriam Lips - Prof. Digital Government Victoria University of Wellington

Click to register and for more information.

This Intergenerational Challenges seminar is the seventh in the Aspen Institute New Zealand series on Critical Thinking and Values Based Leadership. The seminar focuses on the critical importance of the temporal aspects of decision making and how our decisions affect the very young and future generations.

Tuesday 30 August | 9am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 4pm

Wednesday 31 August | 9am to 11:30am

With moderators:

• Neil Jacobstein - Chair AI & Robotics Singularity University, Aspen NZ Director

• Dr. Susan Houge MacKenzie - Associate Professor in the University of Otago School of Business

• Sir Bill English - former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Aspen NZ Director

Demographics as a field is fundamental, but is demographics destiny? Can we alter some demographic trends to alter our destiny? How does demographics affect identity - who are "we"? Is there ever a "them"? What is New Zealand's population plan, why does it matter, and what might be done to make it more foresighted and effective?

Wednesday 27 April | 9am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 4pm

Thursday 28 April | 9am to 11:30am

Online seminar with moderators: Neil Jacobstein - Chair AI & Robotics Singularity University, MediaX Distinguished Scholar Stanford University; Prof. Alan Gamlen - Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at The Australian National University; Prof. Paul Spoonley - Honorary Research Associate, Te Kura Pukenga Tangata, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University and Chair, Metropolis International. Read more …

Misinformation Challenges is the fifth seminar in our Future Challenges: Systems Thinking and Values based Leadership series. What are misinformation and disinformation? What role does money play in influence operations that promote misinformation? Is New Zealand as vulnerable as other countries like the US? What are the future possibilities for improving our misinformation defenses?

• Wednesday 22 Sep | 9am to 11:30am and 1:30pm to 4pm, and

• Thursday 23 Sep | 9am to 11:30am

With moderators from Singularity University, Massey University and Google New Zealand:

• Neil Jacobstein, Chair AI & Robotics Singularity University, MediaX Distinguished Scholar Stanford University

• Prof. Claire Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Creative Arts, Massey University

• Ross Young, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google New Zealand

More information here …

Trade Challenges is the fourth seminar in the Future Challenges: Systems thinking and Values based Leadership series.

June 15, 16 & 17 | 9am to 11:30am | online daily

With moderators expert in systems thinking, trade logistics, negotiations and foreign policy:

• Neil Jacobstein - Chair AI & Robotics Singularity University, MediaX Distinguished Scholar Stanford University, Aspen Crown Fellow.

• Charles Finny - partner at the government relations consultancy Saunders Unsworth, Director New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, specialising in New Zealand’s bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations and commentary.

• Prof. Robert Patman - one of the University of Otago’s inaugural Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chairs and Professor of International Relations, well known author and contributor to the national and international media on global issues and events.

COVID-19 has upended our daily lives on an unprecedented scale and time frame. This seminar will address scientific, technical and ethical aspects of decision making during times of crisis. We will use the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, considering the values-based trade-offs and consequences.

Moderated by Neil Jacobstein, Prof. James Maclaurin and Christine Maiden Sharp.

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED. THIS EVENT IS FULL.

The Aspen flagship Executive Leadership Seminars explore the values, habits, and convictions that drive effective leadership for the benefit of society.