IF20 final AI webinar asks whether humans shape AI’s future

The G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation will close their eight-part AI Webinar Series on Aug. 20 with a discussion about whether artificial intelligence becomes a threat or a benefit. The webinar centers the question as an ethical choice for societies, not just a technical one.

Why it matters: - The final session in IF20’s AI Webinar Series frames artificial intelligence as a governance and ethics issue with real-world consequences for work, learning, dignity and human agency. - The event brings together policy, engineering, accounting, governance and international affairs voices to show how differently experts assess AI’s risks and benefits. - IF20 says the core question is not whether AI changes society, but whether people guide that change with values that protect fairness and human dignity.

What happened: - The G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation will close their eight-part AI Webinar Series on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, with a session titled AI and the Future. - The webinar is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. EDT and will be moderated by Marianna Richardson, IF20’s director of communications and head of its AI working group. - The panel includes Clara Langevin, Josh Tan, Manisha Jain, David A. Wood and Valerie Hudson. - Registration is free at the webinar registration page.

The details: - Marianna Richardson described AI as being talked about as both “the destroyer and savior of civilization.” - IF20 says AI’s impact will depend on whether societies use strong ethical frameworks that protect dignity, fairness and human agency. - The organization argues that AI can amplify human capabilities and change how people learn, work and solve problems together. - The series has run since June and has covered AI and faith, translation, benchmarks, the planet, peace, human flourishing and education. - IF20’s AI work began in New Delhi in 2023 and has continued through convenings in Pune, Brasília and South Africa. - IF20 also created an AI Interfaith Task Force to bring technologists and religious leaders together on ethical guidelines and international standards. - Richardson will invite audience questions in chat after the expert presentations.

Between the lines: - The panel is built to surface disagreement, not consensus. - Clara Langevin focuses on responsible AI adoption and policy guidance on data ethics, transparency and explainability. - Josh Tan argues for AI as public infrastructure rather than private property. - Manisha Jain brings more than a decade of generative AI experience inside Google, Meta and Microsoft, including work on Gmail SmartReply and Google Translate. - David A. Wood focuses on how organizations can use generative AI in practice. - Valerie Hudson describes herself as an AI “gloomer” and has studied AI and politics since 1991. - The lineup suggests IF20 wants a broad ethical conversation that includes both builders and skeptics.

What's next: - The webinar will cap the current eight-part series and likely inform IF20’s continuing work on AI ethics and interfaith cooperation. - IF20’s AI Interfaith Task Force is expected to keep developing ethical guidelines and advocating for international standards. - The panel discussion and audience Q&A may shape how IF20 frames future convenings on AI governance and human-centered technology.

The bottom line: - IF20 is treating AI’s future as a human choice, and its final webinar is designed to argue that ethics should guide the technology before the technology guides society.