AI: An Honest Conversation
What's Real, What's Hype, What Matters
A 90-minute, plain-English talk on what AI actually is, what it can really do, and where it looks like it's going. No hype. No jargon. No sales pitch.
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Central Library, Bend, OR
Seating is limited to 45.
Do You Really Know What AI Is?
AI is technology that many people use but don't fully understand. And it's advancing faster than the people and institutions trying to keep up. At best we are all trying to sort it all out in real time, somewhere between the headlines promising a beautiful future and the ones promising disaster.
This evening is a straight-talk session with AI educator Kevin Goldberg: plain English, no hype, and an honest look at what these tools do well, where they fail, and how this moment compares to past technology advancements like the calculator, word processing, YouTube, and even electricity.
Kevin is not here to tell you how to run your business, parent your kids, vote on issues, or do your job. His goal is simpler: to give you a clear picture of what AI actually is so you can make informed decisions for your work, your family, and everything else you care about.
What you'll leave with
A Working Mental Model
What Artificial Intelligence actually is, why the way it works changes how much you should trust it, and why the AI you tried a year ago is a different product from the one available today.
What the Data Actually Says
Which jobs are most exposed, where the hiring slowdown for younger workers is showing up, and how that has changed even in the last few months.
Concrete Next Steps
Practical ways to move forward depending on where you are starting from, plus the single habit that separates people who learn with AI from the people who lean on AI.
What we'll cover
- What Artificial Intelligence means, and how it is technically an umbrella term
- What is a Large Language Model and how does it relate to ChatGPT, Claude, and others
- Why AI can give you a confident answer that is simply wrong, and a good rule-of-thumb on what to verify
- Where AI is genuinely strong today, and where the hype has run ahead of reality
- How "Vibe coding" has changed what it means to start a new business and where the risks are
- What is meant by "agentic AI," and are people / companies really letting AI agents run unsupervised
Who this is for
- Anyone already using AI, and unsure how to use it better or how much to trust it
- Anyone who has not started, and suspects they are falling behind
- Business owners, managers, and professionals watching AI arrive in their work
- Parents and grandparents making sense of what the kids are using
- Students, graduates, and career-changers thinking about which skills will age well
This talk is designed for a general audience. The substance is high; the jargon is low. No technical background required.
Your speaker
Kevin Goldberg
The details
| Date | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Doors | 5:20 PM |
| Event | 5:30–7:00 PM |
| Format | Solo talk with two audience Q&A breaks |
| Venue | Deschutes Public Library, Central Library |
| Room | Meeting Room 3 (3rd floor) |
| Address | 61956 SE Santorini St, Bend, OR 97702 |
| Contact | AI-honest-conversation@is2digital.com |
Reserve your free seat
Admission is free, but the room holds only 45 people, so seats will go quickly.
Register in advance to guarantee your seat.
Registrants can submit questions in advance, and pre-submitted questions get priority during the Q&A.
When registration is full, you can join the waitlist. Walk-ins may be admitted as space allows.
Frequently asked questions
Is this technical? Will I be lost?
Is this a sales pitch?
Do I need to register?
Will I be recorded?
Can I ask a question?
Is there food or drink?
Where do I park?
Free parking in the Santorini lot, with additional street parking nearby.
Bike parking available at both library entrances.
East Transit stop near the west entrance.