Synthetic Media and the Crisis of Truth

A free, interactive community teach-in on how AI is changing our relationship to knowledge and our sense of what is real. Join APEX Advocacy for an in-person event in Los Angeles at the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice for an afternoon exploring what AI is doing to our attention, memory and relationship to knowledge, while strengthening our ability to think critically and about what we encounter and respond collectively. Led by journalist and adjunct professor Christopher Sebastian , the session will draw from Pulitzer Center reporting on disinformation, deepfakes and the effects AI can have on mental health. This workshop engages with material that may feel difficult or activating, including discussions of suicide and mental health crises, AI-generated sexual harm and political disinformation. We’ll do our best to approach this material with care, and you are supported in choosing your level of engagement. Participants will move through three rounds of small-group discussion using examples of AI-generated media to examine the ways this content works on our attention and can change our experience of time and what we remember. After each round, we’ll come back together to compare what we noticed and continue the discussion. We’ll close by turning toward resistance and the possibilities for reclaiming our attention from technologies designed to capture and monetize it, redirecting that attention toward collective life and liberation. There will be a 15 minute break with free snacks and drinks (thanks to our friends at Feed the People Los Angeles), followed by more treats afterward and time to stay, connect with others and talk about what we’ve explored. So come for the workshop and stay for the delicious food and connection! Masks are required indoors as part of our commitment to collective care and accessibility for our communities. Thank you for helping us care for one another. This is a free event, but donations at the ticket price of your choice support APEX Advocacy, a Black-led non-profit fighting for collective liberation. Want more info about this event? Go to: apexadvocacy.org/events