Artificial intelligence is everywhere, challenging assumptions and changing how the world works, learns, governs and does business. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, UW-Green Bay is inviting the whole community to talk about what comes next.

The UW-Green Bay AI Think Tank will host a free public screening of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist at 5 p.m. in the Christie Theatre, University Union.

Instead of a traditional expert panel, the film will be followed by an open, unscripted conversation at small tables, where students, faculty, business owners, local officials, nonprofit leaders, technologists and neighbors talk with one another.

“AI is too important to leave to a handful of voices, whether they’re in Silicon Valley or on a stage,” said Paul Belanger, director of the UW-Green Bay AI Think Tank and teaching professor of applied writing and English. “We’re not putting any single expert or point of view at the center. We want a mix of perspectives at every table, because the people of this region have a stake in how this technology shapes their lives.”

A film that has the world talking

Directed by Academy Award winner Daniel Roher (Navalny) and Charlie Tyrell, The AI Doc premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters by Focus Features in March. Roher, about to become a father, sets out to understand what kind of world his child will inherit as AI advances at breakneck speed.

The film features more than 40 interviews, including the heads of the companies building today’s most powerful AI systems: Sam Altman of OpenAI, Dario and Daniela Amodei of Anthropic and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind. Critics and ethicists, including Yuval Noah Harari and Tristan Harris, also weigh in. Using stop-motion, animation and humor, the filmmakers make a dense subject accessible and leave viewers with a challenge: to reclaim a say in the future AI is helping build.

Its central idea, the “apocaloptimist,” rejects both doom and hype. It asks audiences to take AI’s risks seriously while staying open to its benefits, which is exactly the spirit of the conversation UW-Green Bay is hosting.

A conversation, not a lecture

After the screening, guests will move to the Student Engagement Center for refreshments and small-table dialogue. AI Think Tank members and faculty from across the university will join tables throughout the room, and UW-Green Bay’s colleges are inviting participants from local government, business, nonprofits, technology and community organizations.

“This conversation is incredibly valuable at this moment,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander. “Offering Northeast Wisconsin opportunities for learning and dialogue is a role a regional comprehensive university should provide. Programs like this help position our communities for success as they navigate the rapid changes driven by this transformative technology.”

The format reflects UW-Green Bay’s role as a public university for the region: a place where people with different views can work through hard questions together. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions, concerns and hopes about AI in their jobs, schools, families and communities.

The event is free and open to the public. The AI Doc is rated PG-13 and runs 104 minutes.