Renowned mathematician to deliver talk on building resiliency in the age of AI
Carnegie Mellon University Professor of Mathematics Po-Shen Loh is a visionary mathematician who combines math, science, and technology — and occasionally acting — as one.
Loh grew up in Wisconsin. His mathematical journey started when he was young, with lessons from his mother, but continued when he found his community in math teams. Thinking independently was celebrated, which drew him in.
“I happened to notice that the math team was full of people who would appreciate the reasons why someone might choose to do things their own way,” Loh says. “I found that those people were really fun to be around, and basically, because of that, I stuck along with the math community.”
While once a U.S. International Math Olympiad coach, Loh teaches in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. He also travels consistently around the U.S to give speeches about topics important and relative to each location. Each talk provides a unique perspective, as Loh gains insight from each place and brings it to the next.
Loh compared traveling to each location as being a bumble bee or honey bee; collecting ideas and individual opinions from those communities and carrying them to the next community. At St. Olaf, he will be holding a lecture about using theater and math to teach critical thinking skills that are resilient to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“This is not a math talk,” Loh states. “This talk is about engaging with a new perspective on how to live alongside AI.”
Loh’s philosophy is to encourage every one of us to be a thoughtful person. He calls it “thought full.” He explains, “I want to engage people where they are and also to focus on the delight of many people. I want to help people’s lives be brighter. I would have people live more delightful lives.”
He applies theories from improvisational comedy to how people can build communication skills and prepare for feeling chaotic or out-of-control. Loh explained that applying improv in a state of disruption — say, AI in the workforce — stretches an individual to get to know themselves and others in a different way. Loh acknowledges that AI has slow dangers to humanity, including less human-to-human social interactions, deepfakes, cybercriminal scams, and dangers we have not contextualized yet. His hope is to create an “immune system for human civilization” through a network of people who are deeply committed to being critical, capable, and flexible.
Attendees can expect Loh to bring to them a few extensional questions: What’s the point of human society? How can we possibly run a reasonable human society amidst super powerful AI agents?
While Loh says he doesn’t have the answer, he provides a glimpse of a potential solution to AI. He says, “the most important asset to invest in now is human relationships.”
“Math Across The Cannon” is a public lecture happening in Tomson 280 on October 5 at 7 p.m. Afterwards, attendees have the opportunity to mingle with Loh for a reception.