In the sermon traditionally delivered by Harvard presidents on the first day of classes each new academic year, President Alan M. Garber spoke about the unique qualities of human intelligence and learning, the accelerating impact of technological advances, and the purposes of the University.
“This moment of renewal is an opportune time to pause and consider the meaning of all that we undertake here,” Garber began, “powered, as ever, by human intelligence.”
Expanding on his remarks at the Convocation for first-years the day before, Garber said that he is convinced that advances in knowledge will take place more rapidly than ever before in human existence. A faculty member wrote him last month, he said, with observations about how artificial intelligence is radically transforming research. “‘With AI tools,’” the professor wrote, “‘I’ve accomplished in the last 6 months what I thought would take the next 10 years…and built out new ideas that had been little more than dreams.’”
Garber explained that when he considers Harvard’s future, it is often with an eye to costs, risks, and benefits, rather than dreams. “But, perhaps,” he challenged the assembly, “as we continue to ponder challenges and possibilities, we should give ourselves greater license to imagine the future that we hope to inhabit. What,” he asked, “do we dream of at Harvard?”
Beyond recognition and success, he continued, “we are motivated by the good inherent in our work and the good that comes from it. We persist…because we know that the work itself holds meaning, not only for those of us who are fortunate enough to be part of this institution, but to countless others everywhere. We dream of making a difference.”
Drawing on the teachings of the first-century Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva, Garber said that human intelligence is sacred—and “distinct from any intelligence that humans have created, as astounding as the unfolding technical advances are.” Learning is at the heart of what makes us human, he said, and the elevation and celebration of learning, “the work to which Harvard has set itself for centuries…is the preservation of human life itself.”
The president ended with a benediction: “May we proceed this year with gratitude toward one another and with appreciation of all that we are together. May we approach the future confidently and fearlessly, armed with knowledge and moved by ambitious dreams of a better world that each of us can help build.”
