WESTPORT — The search for signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe may actually end with an earth-bound algorithm.

Artificial intelligence, or AI — what it means for future life on Earth and its inhabitants — currently is being explored by some of the smartest minds on the planet.

A program sponsored next week by the Y’s Men of Westport/Weston may help to decode the technological advances — or threats — posed by AI.

“Artificial Intelligence Gets Real” is the topic of a presentation set for 7 p.m. Monday, May 22, by David Rogue, Emmy Award-winning journalist and former New York Times columnist, at the Westport Library. To register for the free program, click here.

Artificial intelligence apps can render imagery of any objects or scenes that mimic the style of noted artists and photographers. Others can write just about anything — letters to research papers to software — based on a user’s request.

Fakery or the future?

At the Y’s Men program, Pogue will discuss the state of the art in AI technology, and how he expects its uses will evolve, according to a publicity release. He also will answer questions from the audience.

The Westport resident was The New York Times weekly tech columnist from 2000-13, and is a five-time Emmy winner for his segments on the CBS News “Sunday Morning” television program. He is also a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker and host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS.

Pogue has written or co-written more than 120 books, including dozens in the “Missing Manual” tech series, which he created in 1999; six books in the “For Dummies” series; two novels; three bestselling “Pogue’s Basics” books of tips and shortcuts; new how-to guides, “iPhone Unlocked” and “Mac Unlocked,” and “How to Prepare for Climate Change” published in 2021.

For more information, visit the Westport Library website or call 203-291-4800.