Lectures and seminars Seminar: Do we still think for ourselves?
Berättarministeriet (Ministry of Storytelling) and Karolinska Institutet invite you to a discussion on artificial intelligence, attention, and the human condition.
On October 16, Berättarministeriet and Karolinska Institutet are hosting the seminar “Do We Still Think for Ourselves?” Artificial intelligence is becoming involved in more and more stages of the intellectual process: in drafts, in summaries, and in the formulation of conclusions. What this means for human attention—which in philosophy has long been regarded as a prerequisite for independent thinking—is a question that is becoming increasingly relevant in both the humanities and the natural sciences.
Science historian and *New Yorker* contributor D. Graham Burnett, a professor at Princeton University who has long been engaged in research on the history of attention, speaks with David Sten, a master’s student in philosophy whose daily life is already heavily shaped by these technologies through his work. Together, they explore the issue from the perspective of two distinct experiences: that of historical analysis and that of everyday life. The discussion will be moderated by author Agri Ismaïl and will explore a question of growing interest in both the humanities and medical science: How are human thought, human attention, and human existence affected as more and more of these functions are shared with AI systems?
Speakers
D. Graham Burnett is a historian of science, author, and professor of history at Princeton University. His research focuses on the history of science, cartography, natural history, visual cultures, and the relationship between knowledge, technology, and society. He has recently published several books on human attention and its history, as well as how it is influenced by today’s technological developments, including *ATTENSITY! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement* (2026).
David Sten is a market analyst with an academic background in philosophy and physics, holding a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Amsterdam and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. His academic work has addressed, among other topics, Nietzsche’s genealogical method, social epistemology, and the merit and reward systems in science. He currently works in market research at Early Studies.
Agri Ismaïl is a writer who previously worked as a lawyer in London, Dubai, and Iraqi Kurdistan. He writes criticism and cultural commentary and has been published in outlets such as Expressen, Glänta, Ord & Bild, and The White Review. In 2024, he made his literary debut with the novel *Hyper*, which was nominated for the August Prize and awarded the Katapult Prize for best fiction debut.
Dilsa Demirbag-Sten is a journalist, author, and social entrepreneur. As secretary general and co-founder of Berättarministeriet, she works to promote children’s love of reading and writing skills in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools. Dilsa holds a number of positions of trust, including serving on the boards of the Institute for Futures Studies, Linköping University, and the Nobel Foundation.
Programme
Introduction
The seminar will be moderated by Agri Ismaïl.
Dilsa Demirbag-Sten, Secretary-General, the Berättarministeriet Foundation
Keynote speech
D. Graham Burnett, Professor of the History of Science, Princeton University
Discussion
D. Graham Burnett and David Sten