Events

The Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy will host USC Associate Professor Mike Annany to explore how generative AI is often discussed as a vague, abstract concept rather than a set of concrete systems with real-world consequences. Drawing on his research in media, technology, and public life, Ananny examines how this framing shapes public understanding, limits accountability, and influences how societies respond to emerging technologies. The talk invites audiences to think more critically about what generative AI is, how it operates, and why treating it as a public problem is essential for addressing its broader social and political impacts.

This lecture delves into the enduring struggle for democracy in the United States, challenging the notion that democratic backsliding began with the 2024 presidential election. Instead, it traces the deeper historical and structural forces that have long shaped—and strained—American democratic institutions.

Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations was published 250 years ago and illustrated how prosperity is created by an invisible hand (specialization, competition, and a well-governed society). Was it a coincidence that sustained economic progress began shortly thereafter? Smith’s framework and his spirit remain a wise guide to modern betterment and a powerful antidote against today’s reflex for control, protectionism, and political allocation. Daniel Klein of George Mason University will lead a discussion of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations and its continued relevance.

Amanda Bankston, Director of the Evans Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) and Julia Karon, Ph.D. Student, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington, "EPIC Reflections: Three Cases of Community-Engaged Research for Public Impact”

This talk will describe empirical cases.