Mesa Public Library: Where is Artificial Intelligence in 2026 and Where is it Going?

No technical background needed

For the last several years, artificial intelligence systems have advanced at a pace that has stunned the public and even surprised leading experts. These systems are reshaping work, the economy, relationships, and even crime extremely quickly.

This workshop will explore where artificial intelligence may be in the next 1-5 years and what that means for daily life for all of us. We’ll tackle urgent and important questions like:

• Jobs: Could artificial intelligence lead to mass unemployment or will it help create entirely new kinds of work?
• Crime: How might artificial intelligence supercharge scams, hacking, and even crime?
• Companions: Will people form deep emotional bonds or even romantic relationships with artificial intelligence companions?
• Society: How do top researchers think these trends will shape our future?

What you’ll get:

• A fast-paced, beginner-friendly overview of today’s most powerful artificial intelligence systems
• Live demos that reveal both the breakthroughs and the risk
• Interactive forecasting exercises where you’ll test your predictions about artificial intelligence’s impact against the broader community
• Come ready to explore a future arriving faster than most people realize. A future that could transform not just how we work, but how we trust, connect, and even love.

Ages 13+