Oracy, Aristotle and AI | Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE
Amid the rapid technological advances in AI and machine learning, how can we optimise human-to-human communication? In this talk, Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE (Durham University, UK) revisits Aristotle's handbook of rhetoric, highlighting millennia-old tips and tricks for persuasive communication. How do we win arguments, negotiate, reach consensus, protest and disagree agreeably? At a time when the UK government has pledged to place 'oracy' (effective spoken communication and active listening) at the heart of the school curriculum for every learner aged 0-18, Holmes-Henderson stresses the importance of looking to the past to inform the future. Professor Holmes-Henderson will reflect on her recent book (co-authored with a practising high school teacher): Reviving Rhetoric Across the Curriculum: a guide for school leader and teachers (open access, Routledge, 2026). She hopes that this talk may spark new conversations in Australia.
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