Dr. Jacob Imam

AI & the Future of Human Work

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

6:00 PM reception at the Summit Park Campus

7:00 PM Lecture with Q&A 

AI & the Future of Human Work

The modern world — like the ancient world — has despised manual labor. With the AI explosion people are now proposing that in physical labor one can find economic security. But apart from any form of financial stability, is there anything worthwhile about blue collar labor?

  • Why does our society look down upon manual labor?
  • Can blue-collar work be a source of human flourishing, rather than merely economic security?
  • Is AI coming for manual labor?
  • Why do you hate your job?
  • Why did Christ become a carpenter?

About the Speaker

Dr. Jacob Imam is the Founder and President of the College of St. Joseph the Worker in Steubenville, Ohio. Born into a Muslim family, he converted to Catholicism under the guidance of his godfather, Walter Hooper, C.S. Lewis’s personal secretary. Dr. Imam earned a master’s and doctorate from the University of Oxford as a Marshall Scholar. He speaks and writes on politics, economics, and education, appearing on platforms like Pints with Aquinas and Fox News. His vision for the college merges rigorous liberal arts education with skilled trades training, forming graduates who are intellectually adept, spiritually grounded, and financially secure. He emphasizes the dignity of manual labor and the harmony of intellectual and practical skills. Dr. Imam lives in Steubenville with his wife, Alice, and their four young children.

About the Veritatis Splendor Speakers Series

Through the Veritatis Splendor Speakers Series (Latin for “Splendor of Truth”), CLASSICAL will be inviting nationally recognized speakers to address thought-provoking topics related to our mission of promoting moral character and civic virtue through a content-rich education in the classical liberal arts and sciences. The aim of the speaker series is not merely to deepen the knowledge and involvement of CLASSICAL’s immediate school community, but also to educate and engage the community at large.

Previous Veritatis Splendor Speakers

Dr. Stephen Smith – An Education for All Seasons: Thomas More’s Vision for Today  

Christopher Rufo –  Restoring Integrity to Public Education 

Dr. Wilfred McClay – Recovering the Great American Story 

Dr. Jordan Wales – Artificial Intelligence, the Human Person, and Education 

Dr. Dwight LindleyA Christmas Carol to Re-Enchant the World

Dr. David Whalen – Character and Virtue: Learning to Love What’s Right

Dr. Stephen Smith – Love and Fire: Education of Soul in Dante’s Divine Comedy

Dr. Leonard Sax – Tik Tok Ate My Daughter, and My Son Won’t Stop Playing Video Games 

Dr. Larry Arnn – The Renaissance of American Classical Education

Dr. Jeffrey Lehman – Quadrivial Pursuits: Why Classical Education Needs the Quadrivium

Dr. Stephen Smith – Why Everyone Should Study Shakespeare

Mr. Andrew Zwerneman – The Confidence of Culture: Seeing What the West Frees us to See

Mr. Patrick Whalen – The Role of the Body in Education

Dr. Daniel Coupland – Education and the Cultivation of the Moral Imagination

Mr. Antonin Scalia – What My Grandfather Taught Me About the Constitution

Location: Summit Park Symposium Room –10200 Reed Hartman Hwy, Cincinnati, OH 45242