AI (Artificial Intelligence) Salon
Facilitated by Raymond Yee
A monthly discussion group exploring how artificial intelligence is showing up in everyday life – in creativity, relationships, health, and society. Each session, participants read or watch one short piece ahead of time, then gather for a facilitated conversation. No technical background needed – just curiosity and a willingness to share perspectives.
Session 3 is set for Tuesday, July 21, 12:30–2:00pm, in the Youth Room — same as before. This one is hands-on and informal: please bring your phone and/or laptop (charged, if you can). I'll do a few live demos and then circulate to help each of you get started, with a printed handout to work from. We'll basically be sitting around trying things together — not another reading-and-discussion session. No preparation required; just come curious.
Optional, if you'd enjoy a little listening beforehand: NPR's Fresh Air ran a wonderful interview — Terry Gross in conversation with tech journalist Joanna Stern about her year of letting AI into almost everything in her life (an AI therapist, having AI review her mammogram, driverless cars, and more). It connects right back to our first two sessions on AI and health. It's audio-first, and NPR posts a full transcript on the page if you'd rather read it:
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/12/nx-s1-5819579/inside-a-journalists-year-of-using-ai-for-almost-everything
Completely optional — the session itself needs no prep.
Raymond Yee, Ph.D. is a longtime Albany and Berkeley resident with a background in software engineering, data science, and teaching. He has been associated with UC Berkeley’s Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) since 1995, teaching subjects from philosophy to web development to motivated young students, and is returning this summer to teach “Working and Thinking with AI.” He has also taught at UC Berkeley’s School of Information and currently consults on open-source software and data projects. Raymond has been exploring AI tools in his personal and professional life since the early days of ChatGPT, and is passionate about helping people think critically and creatively about how AI is reshaping everyday life. He is an Ashby Village Tech Team volunteer.
For more information and questions: raymond.yee@gmail.com