Upcoming Cameron festival speaker feels ‘primal intelligence’ beats AI

Author and research Angus Fletcher believes that there are many things that humans do better than machines. That human advantage will be the subject of his visit to Lawton on Sept. 17 for Cameron University's 13th academic festival, "Being Human in the Age of AI."

Fletcher will visit Cameron on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 17, to speak to CU students, followed by a community presentation at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theater, 27th and A Avenue. His presentation, "Primal Intelligence: What Distinguishes Us from AI," is open to the public.

Fletcher is a leading voice on human creativity, intelligence, and the power of story - and his research has put him at the center of today's conversation about what humans do better than artificial intelligence.

As AI takes an increasingly more important role in our lives, Fletcher feels our real advantage lies in the brain's ancient, narrative-driven abilities: imagination, emotional insight, flexible judgment and problem-solving under uncertainty. His research translates these strengths into practical tools that leaders can use to innovate faster, make better decisions, and unlock the human potential inside their organizations.

Fletcher believes that computer AI lacks the physical hardware to replicate human creativity. Even a sentient, self-aware, and infinitely powerful computer could never innovate - or plan to take over the world.

"AI is forcing us to rethink what's special about human intelligence, and to ask hard questions about the future of university education," Fletcher said. "But new research at U.S. Army Special Operations has turned up some unexpected answers. And they are exciting ones."

Fletcher holds a Ph.D. in literature from Yale University and currently teaches in the English Department at Ohio State University. In 2023, he was awarded the Commendation Medal by the U.S. Army for his "groundbreaking research" with the U.S. Army Special Operations into Primal Intelligence

His literary works include Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature and Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know.

Fletcher's 7:30 p.m. community presentation is free, but tickets must be reserved in advance. To reserve a ticket online, visit www.cameron.edu/festival-tickets. The author will sign copies of his books at the conclusion of his presentation in the University Theatre.

Cameron University established its academic festival series in 1991. Held once every three years, the festival explores an academic theme or societal issue through special events and campus activities, such as lectures, conferences, concerts, exhibits and theatrical productions.

The McCasland Foundation of Duncan is the primary sponsor of CU's academic festival series. Over the years, financial support has also come from the McCasland/Amquest Bank Endowed Chair, the Cameron University Foundation and the CU Lectures and Concerts Series.

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