What To Do About AI?
A Tri-Cities Community Gathering
Saturday, October 24, 2026 · 6:00–8:00pm
The Philosopher's House, Johnson City
The gathering is free to attend. We encourage you to make a purchase from The Philosopher's House while you're there, as a way of supporting the space that hosts us.
Seating is limited, so register soon.
Can't attend? Join our email list to stay updated on future events.
How do we come together as a community to shape how AI is used here, toward connection instead of isolation?
If you're concerned, curious, or excited about AI, join the conversation and help us decide what to do next.
This is for business owners, parents, teachers, developers, artists…everyone in our community, no tech background required.
Who we are
Savannah Schaffer
I'm a strategist and systems designer for small businesses in the Tri-Cities, I use AI every day. How we use technology without losing each other, or ourselves, is a question I explore through my writing at Path & Ponder and the conversations I co-host.
Chris Ewald
Chris has a vision for a more human-values-led technology. Having worked in tech for two decades, he went on to weave in mental health, meditation, and philosophy — wanting to bridge these worlds by building a culture around technology that supports our shared human values.
Where this came from
In June we started hosting conversations about ethical technology in the Tri-Cities. These have been weekly online meetups where we sit with questions about how we choose to use technology in our personal lives, businesses, and other areas of life.
Our goal is to encourage ongoing conversations around how we choose to use technology in our personal lives, businesses, and other areas of life. How can we make decisions about AI that help build stronger and deeper human connections, instead of creating more isolation? How can we change the way we use technology to create a better community for everyone, rather than perpetuating the current societal failures? How can we act from a place of agency and empowerment in navigating technology?
“The value of persons does not depend on what they achieve or produce. There are rights that apply to everyone simply by virtue of being human, and no human power can legitimately deny or arbitrarily limit them.”
On the calendar
The community gathering isn't the only thing coming up. We're hosting other events around technology in the meantime, and you're welcome to join any of them. Some are open discussions while others might be more of an informational format. Explore and join whatever interests you.
Stay connected
Receive email updates now and then about what the group is doing. This is separate from RSVPing to an event or adding the calendar.
- Magnifica Humanitas — Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on safeguarding the human person in the time of AI
- The Real World of Technology — Ursula Franklin on technology as a system of practices and power (PDF)
- The Red Shoes — on AI and the infinity of productivity
- The Technology of Business — is entrepreneurship a craft or an assembly line?