A Virtual Visit with Karen Hao
Illinois Libraries Present
Thursday, September 17
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Inside the Empire of AI with Karen Hao
Join a timely conversation with Karen Hao, award-winning journalist and author of Empire of AI. In this virtual event, Hao will explore the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the social, political, and ethical questions surrounding AI development today, and the questions posed in her work – Will AI produce broad-based societal benefit for all? Or return us to an age of empire? The path forward is in our hands.
Whether you’re excited about AI, cautious about it, or just trying to understand the hype, this event offers an accessible look at one of today’s biggest technological shifts.
Karen Hao is the instant New York Times bestselling author of Empire of AI and named one of the most influential people in AI by Time. She is lead designer of the Pulitzer Center’s AI Spotlight series as well as co-host of BBC’s podcast, The Interface. The first journalist to ever profile OpenAI, Hao was formerly a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering American and Chinese tech companies, and a senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review. Her work has been cited by Congress, featured in university curriculums, and remade into museum exhibits.
Reanna Esmail, Lead Librarian for Instruction at Cornell University and a prominent voice in critical digital pedagogy and intellectual freedom, will join Karen Hao in conversation.
Zoom registration approvals for this event will now close at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the event. Registrations received after this deadline will stay pending and will be processed after the live event, ensuring that those who missed the cutoff will still receive the event recording. Attendance is limited to patrons of participating ILP member libraries; registrations from non-member library patrons will be declined.
ILLINOIS LIBRARIES PRESENT | Fall 2026
- Sep 17, Inside the Empire of AI with Karen Hao, 7 pm
- Oct 20, Preserving History with Geoffrey Baer, 7 pm
- Nov 12, Words, Power, and Community: Dr. Eve L. Ewing, 7 pm
Illinois Libraries Present is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Illinois Libraries Present is committed to inclusion and accessibility. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Closed Captioning are provided.