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Event Title: Our Final Invention: A Community Town Hall on Navigating the Age of AGI

Event Description:
The smartest people in the room are getting scared. Geoffrey Hinton, the "Godfather of AI," left Google specifically to warn us about the technology he helped create. Top researchers now predict that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—AI with human-level cognitive abilities—could arrive between 2027 and 2030.

What happens when we are no longer the smartest beings on the planet?

This isn't just about a "bigger ChatGPT". We're on the verge of a technology that can learn, reason, and solve novel problems on its own —an intellect that could eventually become vastly smarter than the best human brains in every field. The leap could be as significant as the one between a housefly and Einstein.

The stakes couldn't be higher. An aligned AGI could help us cure all diseases and end poverty. A misaligned one could lead to scenarios like an eternal AI dictatorship or even extermination by indifference.

The time to talk about this is not when it happens. It's right now.

Join us for a community town hall to tackle the most important questions of our time. This is not a lecture; it's a moderated, interactive discussion where your voice is crucial. We will explore:

  • Our Community's Role: Given the global nature of the AGI race, what meaningful role can a local tech community like ours play in promoting AI safety?

  • Defining Our Values: What core human values (like compassion or fairness) should we demand be embedded into these systems before they become too powerful to control?

  • Preparing for Disruption: How do we prepare our local economy and workforce for the massive, inevitable disruption AGI will cause to almost every job?

  • The Global Pause Dilemma: Should a company on the verge of AGI be required to pause and collaborate globally, or is that a naive hope in a high-stakes competitive race?

  • A Call to Action: What is the single most important action—personal, professional, or political—that you can take this year to positively influence the outcome?

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Who Should Attend?
This conversation is for everyone: tech professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers, students, and any concerned citizen who wants to understand and shape the future of humanity in the age of intelligent machines.

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About Your Moderator:
This town hall will be moderated by Andrew Stafford. Andrew is the Co-lead for the Global AI Collective - Hampton Roads and cofounder of the AI startup Your AI Group. With 24 years in tech, including roles at Amazon, NASA, and multiple startups, he is an author of 11 books and a board advisor with deep experience in building and deploying advanced technology.

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Agenda:

  • 6:00 PM: Doors Open & Networking
  • 7:15 PM: Introduction: Framing the AGI Challenge
  • 7:30 PM: Moderated Town Hall Discussion
  • 8:30 PM: Closing Remarks & Final Q&A
  • 8:45 PM: Continued Networking

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