About This Series
Why This Series?
AI is everywhere in the news, but most coverage falls into two camps: breathless hype or apocalyptic doom. Neither is very helpful for understanding what's actually happening or how to think about it.
This series takes a different approach. We'll look at AI honestly—what it is, what it means, and what we should do about it—without the sensationalism. The goal isn't to sell you on a particular view, but to help you think more clearly about one of the most significant developments of our time.
The Approach
- Accessible — No technical background required. If you've never touched code, you'll understand everything.
- Philosophical — We go beyond "how-to" to ask "why" and "what does this mean for us?"
- Practical — Connected to your real life—your work, your relationships, your sense of meaning.
- Honest — We acknowledge uncertainty. Some questions don't have answers yet.
About the Speaker
Hays Hutton works in AI innovation and security at Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader protecting over 70,000 customers including most of the Fortune 10. He specializes in autonomous agents, AI data engineering, and protecting organizations from AI-related risks. He lives in Estes Park.
His current work includes developing an LLM firewall that protects against data leakage, prompt injection, and other AI misuse—giving him firsthand insight into both the capabilities and risks of these systems.
Hays brings a unique perspective to these questions, combining deep technical understanding with philosophical curiosity. The goal is not to lecture at you, but to think together about questions that matter.
Philosophy
This series is grounded in a few key beliefs:
- Understanding beats fear. The more you understand something, the better you can engage with it.
- Questions beat answers. Good questions open up thinking; premature answers close it down.
- Agency beats passivity. The future isn't something that happens to us. It's something we create.
- Community beats isolation. These questions are better explored together.
Get in Touch
Have questions about the series?
Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church
880 MacGregor Avenue
Estes Park, Colorado 80517
970-586-4504
office@stbartsepiscopalchurch.org