AI: From Code to Consequences

The Murphy Institute is thrilled to announce a Spring 2026 research symposium titled “AI: From Code to Consequences,” on Friday, April 17 through Saturday, April 18. The two-day event will convene experts, thought leaders, and policy planners to explore the current state of AI across society, law, science, and policy, shedding light on these transformative technologies and how they are fundamentally (re)shaping our society. 

This event is proudly hosted by The Murphy Institute, in partnership with:

• Tulane School of Science and Engineering
• A.B. Freeman School of Business
• Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment
• Tulane Law
• Tulane School of Professional Advancement
• Tulane's Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science

This event is free and open to the public. Registration details coming soon. 

Conference Details

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) – including both generative and traditional methodologies – is rapidly transforming the foundations of our daily life. This technology mediates everything from economic policy and scientific discovery to legal frameworks and personal decision-making.

AI, and the broader digital revolution we've been enmeshed in for the last 75 years, has undeniably made us more connected, yet it has also created new challenges and barriers between us. This multidisciplinary symposium will address the essential questions raised by this transformation: "What is the current state of these technologies, and how can we guide their adoption and use toward a more equitable and beneficial future?"

Day One 

Friday, April 17, 2026 
11:00–5:30 PM (reception to follow)
New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI)
725 Howard Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 

Keynotes and panel discussions from more than a dozen experts and global thought leaders will delve into the latest research on topics including current and emerging AI technologies, the impact of AI on the labor market, and building frameworks for responsible and ethical AI.

Day Two

Saturday, April 18, 2026
9:00–12:45 PM 
Steven and Jann Paul Hall for Science and Engineering  
Lindy Boggs Building, Tulane University

Five sessions dedicated to examining specific social, legal, and economic challenges posed by AI will be held at Tulane University. These sessions bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars from Tulane and other institutions to explore selected aspects of AI in greater depth and foster dialogue across diverse perspectives and disciplines. Designed to complement the broader discussions of the first day, these 30-minute sessions will provide focused insights into key issues of AI, with questions from the audience.
 

AI Symposium Schedule

DAY 1 | FRIDAY, APRIL 17 

New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI )

11:00–11:15 AM | WELCOME REMARKS 

Gary (Hoov) Hoover, Executive Director, The Murphy Institute

Dean Paulo Goes, Tulane A.B. Freeman School of Business

11:15–12:30 PM | OPENING KEYNOTE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGL-AI

Because AI came on so strong and so fast, society has yet to establish clear rules, norms, and expectations about its role in our lives. Michael Littman has been on the front lines of AI research, education, and governance for roughly 40 years. He is currently working as Brown University's first Associate Provost for AI and will share examples of AI causing problems and AI solving problems. Finally, he'll report on the progress being made to absorb AI into our culture, changing both in the process.

Michael Littman, Associate Provost for Artificial Intelligence and Professor of Computer Science, Brown University

Moderator: Walter Isaacson, Leonard A. Lauder Professor of History and American Values, Tulane University

12:45–1:45 PM | PANEL 1: WHAT IS AI? A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE

The term 'artificial intelligence' (AI) was first used in the 1950s to describe the effort to program the (then new) computers to mimic the human actions we associate with intelligence. Since its inception, the field has been a source of both fear and fascination. It remains a core research area within computer science and a site of emerging technology that touches every aspect of society. In this panel, experts ranging from the technical and social sciences to law and philosophy will discuss how they perceive AI within their respective fields and explore the multi-dimensional implications this technology holds for our collective future.

Ahmed Abbasi, Joe and Jane Giovanini Professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations, University of Notre Dame

Sean McSpaden, Principal Legislative IT Analyst, Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office

Francesca Rossi, AI Ethics Global Leader at IBM

Susan Schneider, William F. Dietrich Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Florida Atlantic University

Ari Ezra Waldman, Professor of Law, UC-Irvine School of Law

Moderator: Nick Mattei, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Co-Director of the Tulane Center for Community Engaged AI, Tulane University

2:00–3:00 PM | PANEL 2: AI AND THE LABOR MARKET: DISRUPTION, ADAPTATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES

Artificial intelligence is transforming work across industries, occupations, and skill levels. This panel brings together perspectives on technology, organizations, and economic change to explore both the potential disruptions AI creates and the new opportunities it unlocks for workers, firms, and society. The discussion will focus on how labor markets are adapting, what capabilities and institutions matter most in this transition, and how we can shape a more inclusive and resilient future of work. Designed to be timely, forward-looking, and analytically grounded, the panel invites participants to move beyond simple narratives of fear or optimism and engage with the practical and strategic choices that will define the next era of employment.

Kevin Hong, Professor of Business Technology, Miami Herbert Centennial Endowed Chair, and Associate Dean of Research, University of Miami Herbert Business School

Gal Oestreicher-Singer, Mexico Professor of Information Systems and Associate Dean of Research at the Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University

Frank Pasquale, Professor of Law at Cornell Tech and Cornell Law School

Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe, Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions and Co-Director of Wharton Human-AI Research, University of Pennsylvania

Greg Weiss, Co-Chair of the AI Exploratory Committee, National Association of Counties

Moderator: Yi-Jen (Ian) Ho, Associate Professor of Management Science, Tulane A.B. Freeman School of Business

3:15–4:15 PM | PANEL 3: RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL AI

Artificial intelligence is shaping some of the most consequential decisions in people's lives: who gets hired, who gets a loan, and on what terms. Yet questions of accountability and fairness remain unresolved. AI systems trained on historical data can automate existing inequities faster than institutions can respond. Courts are only beginning to work out who bears liability when AI causes harm, and policy frameworks like the White House's Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights have yet to produce any enforceable obligations. In this session, panelists from industry, academia, and federal policy will discuss where AI is already causing harm and what building truly ethical and responsible AI systems would require.

John Dickerson, CEO of Mozilla.ai

Mark Geistfeld, Sheila Lubetsky Birnbaum Professor of Civil Litigation, NYU Law School

Anjana Susarla, Faculty Director of the Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership, Omura-Saxena Professor in Responsible AI, Michigan State University

Suresh Venkatasubrananiam, Director of the Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign with the Data Science Institute, Brown University

Moderator: John Levendis, Professor of Practice and Associate Director of Research Services at the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science, Tulane University

4:30–5:30 PM | CLOSING KEYNOTE: AGENTIC AI: DON’T PANIC! …BUT BE PREPARED

Jon Krohn, host of the SuperDataScience Podcast, Co-Founder and CEO of Y Carrot

Moderator: John Renne, Professor in Real Estate and Urban Planning, Program Director of the Real Estate Development, Tulane University

5:30–6:30 PM | RECEPTION AT NOCHI 

NOCHI is located near downtown New Orleans at 725 Howard Avenue, New Orleans, LA. 70130

DAY 2 | SATURDAY, APRIL 18

 Steven and Jann Paul Hall, Lindy Boggs Building, Tulane University

9:00–9:15 AM | WELCOME REMARKS

Gary (Hoov) Hoover, Executive Director, The Murphy Institute

Dean Iñaki Alday, Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment

9:15–9:45 AM | SESSION 1: SMART CITIES

Thomas Sanchez, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University

Introduction by John Renne, Professor in Real Estate and Urban Planning, Program Director of the Real Estate Development, Tulane University

9:45–10:15 AM | SESSION 2: AI AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY STATE

Asaf Lubin, Associate Professor of Law at Maurer School of Law, Indiana University

Introduction by Mateusz Grochowski, Associate Professor of Law and Gordon Gamm Faculty Scholar, Tulane Law

10:30–11:00 AM | SESSION 3: AI CODING REVOLUTION

Harry Wang, Professor of MIS at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware

Introduction by Yi-Jen (Ian) Ho, Associate Professor of Management Science, Tulane A.B. Freeman School of Business

11:00–11:30 AM | SESSION 4: (Title Forthcoming)

Susan Schneider, William F. Dietrich Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Florida Atlantic University

Introduction by John Renne, Professor in Real Estate and Urban Planning, Program Director of the Real Estate Development, Tulane University

11:45–12:15 PM | SESSION 5: DO THE BORING STUFF TO MAKE OPEN SOURCE AI WIN

John Dickerson, CEO of Mozilla.ai

Introduction by Nick Mattei, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Co-Director of the Tulane Center for Community Engaged AI, Tulane University

12:15–12:20 PM | CLOSING REMARKS

Gary (Hoov) Hoover, Executive Director, The Murphy Institute

12:20–12:45 PM | NETWORKING SESSION WITH SPEAKERS

Paul Hall is located on the first floor of the Boggs Center for Energy & Biotechnology (aka Lindy Boggs Building), building #15 on the Tulane campus map