Artificial Intelligence (AI), one of our society’s hottest topics, is intensely debated, often hyped, and rarely understood. Critical AI at Rutgers, an interdisciplinary initiative, organized and led through a steering committee with support from the Center for Cultural Analysis and the Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, is a leader in the study of this profoundly social and cultural phenomenon. Associate Dean for Research Mark Aakhus is a member of the Critical AI steering committee and Assistant Dean for Programs and Assessment Sharon Stoerger helped create a critical AI resource document soon to be released.
Assistant Dean Stoerger, working with Lauren M.E. Goodlad, Distinguished Professor of English, drafted "TEACHING CRITICAL AI LITERACTY: Advice for the New Semester," a resource document that addresses critical AI literacy, implications of generative AI for academic integrity, suggested updates for syllabi, and a list of potential resources. The document will be posted to the Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research (OTEAR) website before the virtual symposium on October 6, 2023.
The symposium—“Critical AI Literacy in a Time of Chatbots: A Public Symposium for Educators, Writers, and Citizens”—features keynotes with Brian Merchant (technology columnist at the Los Angeles Times), Amba Kak (executive director of the AI Now Institute) and Katie Conrad (professor and Interim Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas). Conrad, a co-organizer, is the author of the must-read blog post, “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.” The symposium also features conversations with K-12 educators, grad students and faculty experts in writing studies, computer scientists, ethicists, creative writers, and a diverse array of experts on technology and critical AI literacy. The event begins with opening remarks by Dean of Humanities Rebecca Walkowitz and concludes with facilitated breakout discussions that all registrants are welcome to attend. Registration is open to students, educators, administrators, and AI professionals, activists, and policy experts.
Critical AI is a new interdisciplinary journal based at Rutgers Center for Cultural Analysis and affiliated with the Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science. Critical AI’s inaugural issue, DATA WORLDS, co-edited by Lauren M. E. Goodlad and Katherine Bode, ARC Future Fellow at Australian National University College of Arts and Social Sciences, will be published by Duke University Press.
