Author and Affiliation: Arlindo Oliveira, DEI, INESC

Title: Boomers vs. Doomers: Diverging Narratives at the AI Crossroads – Reflections from the Paris AI Summit
Abstract: At the recent AI Summit in Paris, the tension between competing narratives of AI's future—what some call the "boomer" optimism and the "doomer" alarmism—was on full display. This talk will unpack the ideological divide as it emerged across key sessions, with particular focus on the satellite meetings "AI Science and Society" and "The Inaugural Conference of the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI". While the former highlighted AI's potential to advance human knowledge, social good, and collective governance, the latter stressed existential risks, regulatory urgency, and global coordination frameworks. By comparing these perspectives, I will explore how different epistemic communities frame the stakes of AI development, and what this means for research, policy, and public engagement moving forward. The talk aims to bridge the gap between utopian and catastrophic framings and ask: can we move beyond this radicalized discussion to foster a more nuanced and constructive dialogue?