Join us for a research symposium titled “AI: From Code to Consequences,” on April 17-18, 2026. This event is free and open to the public, and will convene experts, thought leaders, and policy planners exploring the multidisciplinary aspects of AI across society, law, science, and policy. Participants will shed light on transformative technologies and how they are fundamentally (re)shaping our society.
Artificial Intelligence, 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 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?
Keynotes and panel discussions from more than a dozen experts and thought leaders will present attendees with 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.
Free and open to the Public. Registration is encouraged, but not required to attend.
Register for Day 1, 2, or Both
Symposium Information
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
Saturday, April 18, 2026
9:00–12:45 PM
Steven and Jann Paul Hall for Science and Engineering
Lindy Boggs Building, Tulane University
The Murphy Research Symposium is free and open to the public. While registration is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged.
This event is proudly hosted by The Murphy Institute, in partnership with:
Email murphy@tulane.edu for more conference information.
Schedule
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 American History and 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"
Of the 100 million babies born this year, one will live into the 2140s. What will she witness? Previous generations could predict a decade out, but AI is accelerating at an exponential pace that makes the future genuinely hard to foresee. LLM capabilities that once took years to develop now leap forward in weeks, and the cost of building with AI is plummeting. That speed thrills — but it also unsettles. Will AI reshape my job? All jobs? What should I teach my kids? This talk meets those anxieties head-on with an honest, evidence-based look at the landscape — from jaw-dropping benchmarks to surprising employment trends showing millions of new roles emerging alongside AI adoption. The result is an optimistic but clear-eyed vision for the future, paired with practical takeaways anyone can use to ride the AI wave rather than be swept up by it.
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
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: "AI AND THE FUTURE OF YOUR MIND"
- 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
