Steve Wozniak, technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Apple, will visit Lehigh on Jan. 29, 2026 to speak on artificial intelligence as part of the university’s Compelling Perspectives series. The event will take place at 5 p.m. in Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center.
Wozniak has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products, which were integral in launching the personal computer industry. In 1976, Wozniak and Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. with Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. He is listed as the sole inventor on four Apple patents.
President Joseph J. Helble ’82 and Wozniak will participate in a technology-informed discussion on the evolving landscape of AI, looking ahead at the long-term benefits and impacts as AI continues to develop and refine rapidly. A brief Q&A with the audience will follow.
Wozniak’s innovations helped spur the rapid advancement of technology over the past five decades, setting the stage for the current AI age. On the topic of AI, he has expressed a nuanced perspective that draws a clear line between the technology’s capabilities and its constraints. He has supported proposals calling for a pause on giant AI experiments and the development of superintelligence, a form of AI that would surpass human intelligence.
For his achievements at Apple, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Ronald Reagan in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators. In 2000, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.
Wozniak is the author of “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon,” his New York Times bestselling autobiography. In October 2017, he co-founded Woz U, a postsecondary education and training platform focused on software engineering and technology development.
Wozniak finished his degree in electrical engineering/computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. To date, Wozniak has received 10 Honorary Doctor of Engineering degrees.
Advance registration is required for this event. Space is limited; please register by January 23 to reserve your spot.
AI: Innovation, Responsibility and the Future We Shape
The upcoming discussion is part of this year’s Compelling Perspectives theme, AI: Innovation, Responsibility and the Future We Shape. The topic explores the rapid advancement of AI and what the future holds in an AI-powered world. Various viewpoints will examine how the rapid advancement of AI is reshaping industries, economies, communities and individuals, while raising critical questions about ethics, equity and accountability.
The first Compelling Perspectives event in the 2025-26 series welcomed Arianna Huffington to campus in November to speak about the human side of AI and its role in personal health development and well-being. In December, U.S. Senator Dave McCormick visited the university to discuss the government’s critical role in supporting and shaping AI and innovation.
Launched in 2023, Compelling Perspectives provides a platform for civil discourse on complex issues and invites diverse voices to engage with the Lehigh community. The program was designed to amplify varying viewpoints on timely topics shaping our world.
