John Chisholm to Discuss the Balance Between Innovation, Safety, and Human Flourishing, Sept. 16, at Northwood University Freedom Seminar
Members of the community are invited to join students, faculty, and staff for a Northwood University Freedom Seminar lecture on Sept. 16 from John Chisholm, a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute.
This lecture will address one of the most pressing questions of our time: How should societies regulate artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies with unknown risks — without stifling innovation and progress?
“With three decades of experience launching and investing in technology companies, John Chisholm is uniquely positioned to explore this issue,” explained Dr. Dale Matcheck, Chair of Economics at Northwood University. “His lecture will outline competing approaches to technology regulation and examine how each can shape innovation, safety, and quality of life.”
“Artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies hold immense promise — and, if mismanaged, potential peril,” added Economics Professor Dr. Alexander Tokarev, the academic lead for the 2025 Northwood University Freedom Seminar. “The challenge is to create frameworks that safeguard society while allowing free enterprise and human creativity to thrive. History shows us that too much regulation can smother innovation, while too little can erode trust. Finding the right balance is key.”
The annual Northwood University Freedom Seminar consists of weekly lectures from distinguished experts in business, government, and academia. Held Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. throughout the fall semester, the program explores the enduring principles and real-world applications of free enterprise through the lens of history, economics, and contemporary policy.
“This year’s theme, The Road to Freedom, draws on F.A. Hayek’s insights about how societies either advance liberty or slide toward serfdom,” Tokarev said. “Technology regulation is a perfect example of this tension — a frontier where decisions made today could either expand human freedom and prosperity or limit it for generations.”
Other national speakers on the Fall 2025 Freedom Seminar lineup include:
- Sept. 30 — Lawrence W. Reed, President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, on lessons from the fall of Rome and their relevance to America today.
- Nov. 6 — Wilfred M. McClay, Hillsdale College professor and award-winning author, on America’s 250-year experiment in liberty and self-government.
- Dec. 2 — Art Carden, Samford University economics professor and coauthor of Leave Me Alone and I’ll Make You Rich (this semester’s Omniquest selection), on how the “Bourgeois Deal” transformed living standards and human character.
On Sept. 23, Northwood President Dr. Kent MacDonald will present a lecture entitled, “Stewards of Liberty: The Northwood Idea through the Lens of Hayek’s Road to Serfdom and Rockefeller’s Faith in the Individual.” The Northwood Idea is Northwood’s guiding institutional philosophy and an integral component of Northwood’s emphasis on ethical leadership and its mission to develop free enterprise leaders who drive global economic and social progress.
“The Freedom Seminar is about exploring the choices societies make and the consequences they create,” explained Undergraduate Dean Dr. Stacey Tetloff. “By engaging with experts like John Chisholm, our students and community gain insights that will help them understand and advance the principles of free enterprise in the face of new challenges.”
Chisholm’s Freedom Seminar lecture begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, in Griswold Lecture Hall. There is no cost to attend. The event will be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/live/1fxw9nTecIs. For more information, and to view the entire schedule of 2025 Northwood University Freedom Seminar lectures, visit www.northwood.edu/freedom-seminar.
