Sustainable Media Center sets New York AI debate for Sept. 23

The Sustainable Media Center will host a live, recorded and streamed panel in New York City on Sept. 23 to examine how artificial intelligence is changing work, school, creativity, privacy and decision-making. The discussion pairs Gen Z and Gen X+ voices to surface where their experiences with AI overlap and where they sharply differ.

Why it matters: - Artificial intelligence is moving deeper into classrooms, workplaces, creative industries and online platforms. - The event is designed to compare how younger and older generations are experiencing those changes in real time. - The discussion will focus on practical questions around work, creativity, education, trust, relationships, privacy and decision-making.

What happened: - The Sustainable Media Center announced a public discussion titled “AI: A Future, a Danger, or Both? An InterGenerational Debate.” - The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at Mintz, 919 Third Avenue in New York City. - The conversation will be held before a live audience, recorded and streamed online. - The panel will include two Gen Z participants and two Gen X+ participants. - Laura Globig, a cognitive neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at New York University, will moderate. - Saanvi Arora, founder of the Youth Power Project, will participate for Gen Z. - Kayleigh Robertson, founder of the Digital Recovery Centre, will participate for Gen Z. - Dan DeWolf, chair of Mintz’s Technology Practice, will participate for Gen X+. - Steven Rosenbaum, executive director of the Sustainable Media Center and author of The Future of Truth: How AI Reshapes Reality, will participate for Gen X+.

The details: - The event will examine how different generations encounter AI-driven technology in education, work and online life. - Gen Z participants will discuss their experience with algorithmic and AI-driven systems in daily life. - Gen X+ participants will address how AI is being introduced into established institutions and professional settings. - The panel will explore where generational experiences differ, where concerns overlap and which questions still need public discussion. - Globig will steer the conversation toward opportunities and limitations in AI. - Topics will include information quality, employment, digital well-being, human judgment and accountability. - The Sustainable Media Center is presenting the event with support from Mintz. - Tickets are available at event tickets.

Between the lines: - The format suggests the Sustainable Media Center wants to frame AI less as a technical issue and more as a social one. - Bringing together participants from different age groups signals an emphasis on lived experience, not just policy or engineering expertise. - The topic list points to growing concern that AI’s impact is no longer limited to innovation and productivity, but also touches trust, attention and personal well-being. - Rosenbaum said AI is already affecting decisions people make at work, in school and online, and the panel is intended to surface the questions that deserve public attention.

What's next: - The Sept. 23 event will move forward as a live, recorded and streamed discussion in New York City. - The panel is expected to generate public-facing debate about how AI should be used and where guardrails may be needed. - The Sustainable Media Center is positioning the conversation as part of a broader public reckoning over AI’s role in daily life.

The bottom line: - The Sustainable Media Center is turning AI into a generational debate, betting that the most useful insights may come from comparing how different age groups are already living with the technology.