60th Annual Webb Lectures

Every year since 1965, the UTA Department of History and Geography has sponsored an annual series of lectures in memory of the late Walter Prescott Webb.

AI Art of a Victorian Woman next to a steam-punk like artificial woman

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The 60th Annual Walter Prescott Webb Memorial Lectures:

Mind / Machine / Market: The Humanities in the Age of AI

April 15 - 16, 2025.


The 60th Annual Walter Prescott Webb Lecture Series explores the evolving relationship between the humanities and artificial intelligence at a moment when technological innovation and market forces are reshaping society at an unprecedented pace. Bringing together historical, philosophical, and cultural perspectives, the series asks how human insight can guide machines and markets—and how the humanities can actively shape the future of work, leadership, ethics, creativity, and governance. Through lectures and discussions, the series examines past technological transformations, emerging ethical challenges, and the enduring value of humanistic skills in an AI-driven world.



Day 1: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Development, UTA
(400 South Center St., Arlington, TX 76010)
  • 4:00 to 5:30 PM
    • Light Reception
    • Student Showcase: Humanities & AI
  • 5:30 to 6:30 PM
    • Film Screening: "Your Face is Ours: The Dangers of Facial Recognition Software,"
      (dir. Jessica LeMasurier and Roméo Langlois, 2023).

      The film investigates the global spread and human-rights risks of facial recognition technologies. It was awarded the Human Rights Prize at FIGRA 2024, along with honors at international documentary and film festivals.
  • 6:30 to 7:00 PM
    • Conversation & Q&A with co-director and journalist Jessica LeMasurier
    • Moderators:
      • Patryk Babiracki, Department of History and Geography, UTA
      • Paul Corson, Center for Entrepeneurship and Technology Development, UTA

Day 2: Thursday, April 16, 2026

9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Library Parlor, Central Library, 6th floor
  • 9:30 to 9:45 AM
    • Coffee
  • 9:45 to 10:45 AM
    • Jon Burmeister (University of Mount Saint Vincent):
      • "A.I. as Midwife: Personalized Education and Rousseau's Hidden Tutor"
  • 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
    • Larry S. McGrath (Amazon):
      • "Creation and Critique: How the Humanities Shape AI Application Design"
  • 12:00 to 12:45 PM
    • Lunch Break
  • 1:00 to 2:00 PM
    • James W. Cortada (Babbage Institute):
      • “Artificial Intelligence and the Historian: Tool, Crutch, or Frenemy?”
  • 2:15 to 3:15 PM
    • Aleksander Poniewierski (Independent Consultant)
      • "Lost Leaders: How Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol Can Help Us Navigate the Digital Transformation"
  • 3:30 to 4:30 PM
    • Sıla Şehrazat Yücel (Independent Artist):
      • "Off the Map: The Artist as Path Maker in Latent Space"