The HAY Festival returns to Segovia

The HAY Festival returns to Segovia to address the future of humanism in times of Artificial Intelligence
The cultural meeting, which opens this September 5, will celebrate its main days from 14 to 17
The Hay Festival returns to Segovia this September with an edition focused on the future of humanism in times of Artificial Intelligence. Through talks and workshops, computer engineers, architects, filmmakers, politicians, naturalists, experts in female leadership, writers and journalists will meet from September 14 to 17 to promote culture and the exchange of knowledge.

What space will be left for humanism, for happiness or for nature in a world dominated by technology? What will the new power relations be like? How will history be written? These are some of the questions that the Hay Festival is set to answer this year.

As an aperitif to the bulk of the programme, this Tuesday the 5th the National Photojournalism Award exhibition will be inaugurated, bringing together more than 70 photographers who have won this award. The riots in Egypt and Tunisia, the migratory flows caused by the war in Syria, the tragedies of the Strait, the evictions from homes in the face of economic crises or the Pope's visit to Spain are some of the moments that feature in the exhibition, which can be seen see at the Alhóndiga, free of charge, throughout the festival.

On the same day, journalist Javier Pérez de Albéniz, who was a music critic for EL PAÍS and also a sports writer, presents his book Los reveses —a personal story about Párkinson and pimpon—. Pérez de Albéniz narrates in it his own story, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 56 and, in search of formulas to control the disease, became world runner-up in table tennis.

The festival program highlights the conversations on the 14th of John Maeda and Nuria Oliver, renowned experts in Artificial Intelligence, together with Ikhlaq Sidhu, a computer engineer, who will share their knowledge about the intersection between technology, art, and society.

Following the theme of this edition, number 18, the festival has organized immersive master classes in the Metaverse, which will be guided by Harvard professor Goretti Fernández.

You will also be able to listen to three experts in natural sciences such as Vincent Doumeizel, French ecologist and sociologist; David Lindo, naturalist and BBC broadcaster; and Valerie Trouet, Belgian paleoclimatologist. They will participate in a conversation about the importance of preserving the planet and its ecosystem for the future of our societies and will discuss “unique perspectives on nature and its importance in sustainability”.

The writers, always very present in al Hay, will have their space. Marta Robles, Carlos Zanón, Ray Loriga and Javier Cercas share the program with Andrea Marcolongo, Rosa Montero and Kim Sherwood, the first woman to have signed an agent 007 novel. In it, she plays with the possible identity of the mythical spy and even with your demise. In her talk, she will address how to confront stereotypes and challenge gender norms.

The director of the Hay Festival Segovia, María Sheila Cremaschi, recalls that the festival "invites you to imagine a humanist future with its dazzling complexity and find answers from literature, the arts, thought or science."

https://elpais.com/cultura/2023-09-05