First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton is sponsoring a free, 2.5-hour lecture on Saturday morning, Oct. 25, by Dr. Randall Reed, about new “reasoning models” emerging in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Titled “Machines of Loving Grace: Thinking Machines and Digital Companions,” Reed’s lecture will examine how the more refined AI systems are affecting the workplace as well as current hiring practices. He will also look at the effects of AI on human relationships and tech interactions. The program is open to the public and will be conducted at the church and also streamed live from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To participate, please go to fpcelizabethton.org and complete a registration form. For more information, email info@fpcelizabethton.org. The church is located at 119 West F Street in Elizabethton.

A religion professor at Appalachian State University, Reed delivered a similar lecture at the church one year ago that defined AI for attendees and examined its possible effects on modern culture and religion. Today, he contends that new “striking revelations” in the field have tech professionals scratching their heads and wondering about outcomes. “Few people (including me) expected the degree to which AI is being used for companionship. This has really surprised me,” he noted.

Dr. Reed holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University Northridge, a master’s from Claremont Graduate University (California), and a doctorate in the psychology/sociology of religion from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.