The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, with relentless media coverage proclaiming the start of a momentous shift in the way we learn and work. A group of scholars at Rutgers, meanwhile, is working to cut through the “hype” to reach a deeper understanding of this new technology, educate students and the public, and evaluate the opportunities and danger posed by AI.
“Touted as a fourth industrial revolution, AI is nonetheless, poorly understood and subject to hype, misinformation, and anxiety,” says the homepage of Critical AI @Rutgers, a School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) initiative that has drawn faculty from across the academic spectrum, and is supported by the Center for Critical Analysis, the Center for Center for Cognitive Science, and the SAS Division of Humanities.
Since forming in 2018, Critical AI @Rutgers has been developing its distinctive presence through a range of public-facing activities. Earlier this fall, the group organized the one-day virtual conference, Critical AI Literacy in a Time of Chatbots: A Public Symposium for Educators, Writers, and Citizens. The group also recently published the first issue of Critical AI, which is edited at Rutgers and published by Duke University Press. To read the full story.