March San Diego Mingle

March San Diego Mingle: AI, Policy, Culture & Community

Our March San Diego Mingle builds on the strong momentum of our kickoff event — continuing what worked best: thoughtful pairings, timely issues, and meaningful conversation across differences.

This month, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping some of the most important conversations in our society — from immigration and border enforcement to education, media, national security, and sports. As always, topics will remain responsive to current events in the two weeks leading up to the meetup.

### Featured Discussion Areas

We’ll be engaging around questions such as:

• Should AI-powered surveillance (facial recognition, predictive analytics, military drones) be expanded at U.S. borders to enhance enforcement?
• Should AI systems remove election misinformation from social media, even if some legitimate speech is mistakenly flagged?
• Should AI tools like ChatGPT be fully integrated into K–12 classrooms, even if it fundamentally changes how students complete assignments?
• Should the federal government significantly increase AI research spending, even if it adds to the national debt?
• Should international treaties restrict military AI before an AI arms race escalates?
• Should movies and television clearly label AI-generated performances and deepfake technology?
• Should artists legally own AI models trained on their voice, likeness, or creative style?
• Should professional sports leagues replace most human referees with AI officiating systems?

These questions are intentionally designed to cut across political, generational, technological, and cultural lines.

As always, we’ll use our structured Mingle format to pair participants with diverse viewpoints around engaging — sometimes challenging — topics. Poll-style questions inspired by Smerconish’s SiriusXM and CNN discussions will be mixed in to spark reflection and deeper understanding of where — and why — we differ.

### Testing the New Mingle App

We’ll also be beta testing the new Mingle app at this meetup. Participants will have the opportunity to use the app for topic selection, pairing, and post-mingle responses. Your feedback will directly shape future versions, so come ready to experiment and help us refine the experience.

### Expanding the Room

We’re also intentionally broadening perspectives by welcoming more Gen Z voices. RSVPs are open to include guests outside the typical Meetup audience. If you know someone who would enjoy thoughtful, civil dialogue on the future of AI and society, please feel free to include them.

### We Want Your Input

Before the event, please share in the discussion section:

• Which of these topics most interest you?
• Are there AI-related questions you think we should add?
• Are any of these framed in a way you’d refine or challenge?

Your feedback helps shape the experience and ensures we’re addressing what matters most to the group.

Whether this is your first Mingle or you joined us at kickoff, expect structured and unstructured conversation, respectful disagreement, and a space designed to explore ideas — not win arguments.

We’re excited to continue building a community that can engage big questions thoughtfully — especially as technology reshapes our world in real time.

See you in March.