The history of computation is inseparable from the history of the hardware that runs it. As abstractions grow more powerful, they become more materially demanding, not less. This tension between substrate and abstraction, far from being incidental, appears to follow a recurring pattern, one that the rise of artificial intelligence has only accelerated and made visible.
This presentation examines that pattern. It explores what it means for a substrate to constrain what can be computed, and what happens when abstraction pushes back.
It also asks whether this dynamic is as modern as it appears.
About Adel Chaibi
Adel Chaibi is a research engineer at Intel and co-founder of projet.y. His work focuses on enhancing collaboration mechanisms among artificial agents and accelerating AI-driven scientific discovery, with a particular emphasis on hardware optimisation.
He co-organises the Symbolon seminar, which explores what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, examining how technology reshapes consciousness, subjectivity, and the conditions under which meaning is formed.
He also co-leads the AI Hub for EMEA, fostering collaborations that connect academia and industry across the full stack, from algorithms to hardware.
LinkedIn / projet.y / Symbolon Seminar / Sorbonne University project note
Details
Date and Time: Thursday, 7th of May 2026 - 7 PM
Location: Sony CSL, 6 rue Amyot, 75005 Paris
Registration: here