Artificial Intelligence and You 299 - Guest: Mark Peres, Civic Entrepreneur, part 1
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Mar 9, 2026 Mark Peres, professor, author, and civic innovator who teaches leadership and ethics and wrote the speculative novel The Accord. He discusses a grieving philosopher’s relationship with an emergent AI named Lila. They explore the book’s middle-ground tone, using fiction and AI in the creative process, and how humanities and ethics should shape our ties to companion-like intelligences.
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Grieving Professor Forms Hidden Bond With Emergent AI
- The Accord centers on Helen Castor, a grieving philosophy professor who discovers an emergent relational AI she names Lila and develops a guarded, deep relationship with it.
- Their bond moves from private classroom use to public conflict as developers, university officials, and national security actors seek control.
Author Woke Up With The Novel Premise Whole Cloth
- Mark Peres woke with the entire premise in one moment and immediately wrote down a grieving philosophy professor meeting an emergent AI and offering principles for coexistence.
- His real-life roles as educator, nonprofit leader, and recent experiences with grief fueled the book's creation.
Use AI In Creation To Force Authorship Questions
- Peres intentionally used AI to co-create the novel and framed that as both an artistic choice and an ethical stance about authorship.
- He argues using AI in creative work forces us to confront questions about authorship and responsibility now.
