IF20 panel to focus AI on human flourishing

The G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation will host a live webinar Aug. 6 on whether AI can expand human agency, empathy and dignity instead of replacing them. The session is part of IF20’s AI Webinar Series and will feature speakers from faith, academia, health and media.

Why it matters: - The webinar centers a growing debate over whether AI should be judged by efficiency alone or by its impact on human agency, empathy and dignity. - The panel is framing “human flourishing” as a design goal for AI, not an afterthought. - The discussion may shape how faith leaders, educators and policy voices think about AI governance and responsible deployment.

What happened: - The G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation will host a free live webinar titled “AI and Human Flourishing” on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at 12 p.m. EDT. - The session will examine whether AI can strengthen what makes people human rather than erode it. - Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D., will moderate the panel. - The webinar is the sixth of eight sessions in IF20’s AI Webinar Series. - The next webinars in the series are “AI and Education” on Aug. 13 and “AI and the Future” on Aug. 20. - Registration is available through the webinar page.

The details: - Mark Graves said conversational AI should be judged by whether it expands a person’s agency to carry out the activities that make up a flourishing life. - Ali Khan said AI will change much, but it need not diminish humanity, and argued for strengthening care, empathy, courage and hope. - Iliana Grosse-Buening said flourishing for people and planet should guide how AI is designed, deployed, measured and governed. - Kitagawa is president and founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation and chair of the G20 Interfaith Forum Anti-Racism Initiative. - Graves is research director at AI and Faith and a research associate professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. - Grosse-Buening is co-founder and CEO of Deeply Human Innovation and chair of the IEEE Global AI Systems Flourishing Initiative. - Khan is founder and CEO of SHAPE Global, a visiting professor at the University of Huddersfield and an advisor to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. - Angela Nielsen Redding is executive director of the Radiant Foundation and the Faith & Media Initiative. - The IF20 panel will also reflect broader concerns about how religion, spirituality and media representation intersect with AI.

Between the lines: - The lineup blends theology, psychology, public health, ethics and media, signaling a multidisciplinary push to define AI success in human terms. - The emphasis on “flourishing” suggests a shift away from narrow technical metrics and toward measurable social and moral outcomes. - The webinar series also positions IF20 and IAMC as conveners trying to influence the AI conversation beyond Silicon Valley and government circles.

What's next: - The Aug. 6 webinar will continue IF20’s series of AI discussions through late August. - Organizers say the broader effort will keep exploring how AI can be designed and governed to support human dignity and wellbeing. - More information is available at the G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation.