![[Describe what is happening in the photo here, e.g., Panelists speaking at the South London Universal Peace Federation seminar]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55370062853_7cfd5d17a4.jpg)
In the third of its monthly series of gatherings under the "Sustaining our Futures" theme, the South London branch of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) met in Sutton (Greater London) on 5th June 2026, to explore the topic "Artificial Reality: Real Consequences". The earlier meetings in the series addressed important issues under the titles "True Gender Equality" (April) and "Communication in Crisis": Screen Time vs Real Time" (May).
In the June edition, Dr Lance Gardiner, Branch Coordinator, opened by sharing his reflections on the impact of AI on energy use, geopolitics, work and the economy, human creativity and thinking, through presenting the story behind a series of headline statistics related to Generative AI. The scene was then set for a very lively discussion engaging all attendees on a far-reaching technological revolution which seems certain to dramatically reshape our lifestyles, work and even our values. The participants expressed fears for the future if ethical guidelines for the use of AI are not debated and enforced. Another major concern was regarding job security for the next generation, while recognising that AI has the potential to assist in resolving many challenging problems that humanity faces today."