Chiang Mai · Hideaway cafe and restaurant
Hosted by Socrates Café - Chiang Mai
Explore how generative AI, deepfakes and algorithmic propaganda could reshape identity and democracy at this Socratic discussion in Chiang Mai. Taking place on Saturday 21 November 2026, from 12:00–2:00pm ICT, this talk brings Dr Philip Y. Freiberg to Hideaway Cafe and Restaurant in Chiang Mai. Admission is 200 THB. Hosted by Socrates Café Chiang Mai, the session examines artificial intelligence as a vessel for Carl Jung’s concept of the “Shadow”: a technology that can absorb and amplify society’s repressed fears, biases and desires. Dr Freiberg will connect critical theory and contemporary AI case studies with speculative fiction including Blade Runner 2049, The Matrix, Black Mirror, Westworld, Ghost in the Shell and Neuromancer. Topics under discussion - How large language models and generative media reflect the hidden sides of human consciousness - AI-driven “cybersimulacra”, election deepfakes and synthetic social movements - Algorithmic governance, automated surveillance and narrative manipulation - The effects of outsourcing cognition and civic judgement to autonomous systems - Fragmented identity and human agency in a posthuman future After the presentation and theoretical synthesis, the floor will open for a rigorous, participatory Socratic dialogue. Attendees will be encouraged to question assumptions, compare real AI events with their science-fiction counterparts and consider what technological mediation means for democratic deliberation and the sovereign self. No specific experience level or technical background is stated. Register for this event
