COM Research Seminar: Beyond Algorithms: Will AI challenge what it means to be Human
23 Mar 2026 (Mon)
On March 13, 2026, Professor Matthieu Guitton delivered a seminar entitled " Beyond Algorithms: Will AI challenge what it means to be Human”.
In the seminar, Professor Guitton highlighted the profound paradigm shift currently underway as artificial intelligence advances at an accelerating and seemingly uncontrollable pace, permeating virtually every dimension of contemporary life. While intense global competition continues to drive the race toward ever more powerful algorithms, he argued that the exponential progress of AI might lead to the emergence of new dimensions for AI, and that AI research has to move beyond algorithms. From human mimicry to human augmentation, Professor Guitton showed examples of how the boundary between humans and AI is becoming increasingly blurred. He then explored some of the challenges that AI research might face in the coming years. He closed the seminar by touching on some of the upcoming issues that might arise with embodied intelligence from a research perspective.
Approximately 20 faculty members and doctoral students from the Department of Media and Communication attended the session. The audience engaged in a lively and intellectually rich discussion, during which Professor Guitton responded thoughtfully to questions and provided valuable, constructive feedback, creating a highly stimulating exchange.
Professor Matthieu J. Guitton is Full Professor at both the Faculty of Medicine and the Graduate School of International Studies of Université Laval (Quebec City, Canada). He is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and a Senior Researcher at the CERVO Brain Research Center (Quebec City, Canada). As Editor-in-Chief of the journal Computers in Human Behavior, Professor Guitton’s research program centres on understanding human behaviors in online and virtual environments, with particular emphasis on the application of information technologies to health sciences. His work investigates telemedicine, both problematic and non-problematic patterns of internet use, and the broader impact of digital technologies on healthcare systems.
