Transcendence in the Age of A.I.
A search for meaning with Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence
This event starts June 23, 2026.
Daemonic machine or brute algorithm, existential threat or liberating agent—and possibly all of the above—artificial intelligence has brought humankind to one of the great thresholds of our time. Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), developed from Stanley Kubrick’s long-gestating project, foresaw many of these hopes and fears, along with a few philosophical quandaries in between. In this two-night Weirdosphere event, host Joel Gunz leads an interactive screening of the film, to be joined the second evening by Michael Garfield and J.F. Martel for a philosophical conversation about what’s happening now, what’s around the corner, and how we may approach this emerging technology in an era of accelerating weirdness. Details Coming Soon. Details Coming Soon.Format
Schedule
Instructor Bio
J.F. Martel is a Canadian author, filmmaker, lecturer, and cultural critic known for his work on the arts, philosophy, and the uncanny. With a background in film production and an interest in metaphysics, Martel explores the intersections of creativity and the ineffable, challenging conventional boundaries of understanding. He is best known for his book Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice, which argues for the intrinsic value of art beyond commodification and utilitarianism. Martel’s writings often appear in various publications, where he discusses the spiritual and existential dimensions of culture. As a filmmaker, he has directed several documentaries and short films. Through his work, Martel invites audiences to reconsider their perceptions of reality and embrace the mysteries that lie beneath the surface of the workaday world. He co-hosts the Weird Studies podcast with the music historian Phil Ford.
Michael Garfield is the author of the forthcoming book How To Live In The Future, an artist, musician, and independent scholar exploring wisdom in the age of magical technologies at Humans On The Loop. His nonlinear resumé links vertebrate paleontology, scientific illustration, public speaking, innovation research, community management, fine art, and stints at The Santa Fe Institute, Mozilla, and The Long Now Foundation. He works as a freelance consultant and welcomes collaborations with anyone who can benefit from working with a weirdo visionary multitool.
Joel Gunz believes that the search for meaning is among the highest of human pursuits, and it’s this impulse that drives his work. He’s a writer, filmmaker, the host of the annual HitchCon film conference and the weekly MacGuffin Film Club and is the editor of The Hitchcockian Quarterly. His recent publications include “Hermetic Hermeneutics in Hitchcock’s Vertigo” (Book TBA, David Sterritt, ed., forthcoming 2026), “Travels in Hitchcock’s Multiverse” (Re-viewing Hitchcock: New Critical Perspectives, Robert Kapsis, ed., 2025) and “A Comparative Look at Hitchcock’s Murder! and Mary” (Hitchcock Annual, Sidney Gottlieb, ed., 2025). His 2021 film essay Spellbound by L’Amour Fou was selected by several festivals and won Best Short Documentary at the Medusa Film Festival.