Does Expertise Matter?: Authority in the Age of Infinite Information

​An interactive seminar exploring the concepts of expertise and intellectual authority, with reference to ongoing shifts in technology, politics, and education.

​What makes somebody an expert? Can anyone claim that label, or does expertise only come from elite and exclusive forms of achievement? While the concept of expertise is hundreds of years old, formal research on it only dates to the late twentieth century. Despite recent attempts to understand expertise in terms of inherent cognitive abilities, the question of who counts as an expert is still inextricable from social norms. Today, social media and A.I. are leveling the playing field for those who would adopt the title “expert.” These shifts urge us to revisit our beliefs about intellectual authority, credibility, and power.

​“Does Expertise Matter?: Authority in the Age of Infinite Information” considers these issues through frameworks from epistemology – the philosophical study of knowledge – and political science, where the matter of how authority is earned and maintained is seen as vital to human flourishing. First, we use structured thought experiments to help us uncover our own assumptions about the nature of knowledge and power. From there, we turn to an interactive seminar that offers a range of views on who counts as an “expert,” resisting the platitudes and oversimplifications that prevail in online discourse. Combining scholarly research with real-world stories of influencers, AI, and debates over scientific credibility, we discuss three central issues: the question of how to test and measure knowledge; the appeal of authority figures who lack formal credentials; and the complex links between public image and public trust. If you work in education, research, or the tech sector; have strong feelings about the internet and AI; or don’t know what to make of “expert” social media personalities, this event is for you. By the end of the evening, we’ll add nuance to the image of the expert and gain a new understanding of what it means to wield influence in the digital age.

​Program

​To start, participants are guided through structured thought experiments. These can be done with others or as a solo exercise, and participants have the option to share their answers openly or not. Pen and paper will be provided.

​We will then have an interactive presentation built around big-picture questions related to expertise, trust, and power in the age of social media and AI.

​We end with a candid conversation about how the changing nature of expertise and authority impacts everyday life, making connections to ideas explored throughout the evening.

​Facilitator Bio

​Emma Stamm is a writer and professor with a background in philosophy and the social study of science and technology (STS). She holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Tech and has taught courses on the philosophy and social implications of technology at Villanova University, Virginia Tech, the Acid Horizon Research Commons, SUNY Farmingdale, and New York University, where she currently teaches for the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication. As a public-facing scholar, she has written for Vice Motherboard, Real Life Mag, and Communications of the Association for Computing Machinery, in addition to co-hosting the LEPHT HAND podcast. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Lenox Institute for Advanced Study, which makes critical science and tech education accessible beyond academia.

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