NE North Dakota News

On February 28, the University of North Dakota (UND) hosted its first AI and Human Innovation Showcase at the Memorial Union. The event aimed to explore both the ethical challenges and practical applications of artificial intelligence in academia.

Emily Cherry Oliver, a professor of theatre and co-director of UND’s AI and Human Innovation Initiative, organized the event. She emphasized that "even if you’re afraid of AI, we wanted this event to showcase how important the human side of AI is."

The showcase featured various presentations, including a keynote speech by Sarah Newman from Harvard’s metaLAB. Newman highlighted the need for ethical and responsible use of AI technologies. Following her speech, a panel discussion took place involving UND faculty, students, and staff who shared their experiences with integrating AI into their work.

Anna Kinney moderated the panel which included Emily Wirkus from the theatre department; Ariann Rousu from the Computational Research Center; Shelbie Witte from the College of Education & Human Development; and Jonathan Wirkkala, a master’s student in mathematics.

Rousu discussed her work on the Native Dancer Project, a virtual reality game that involves cultural fidelity. She stated that "the human interaction part of working with AI is the most valuable part," stressing that without human direction, AI's outputs can be repetitive.

Jonathan Wirkkala expressed caution regarding over-reliance on AI: "AI tends to be the loudest voice in the room when it’s brought in." He advocated for including arts and humanities in discussions about AI to encourage critical thinking.

Emily Wirkus uses AI in theatre instruction to highlight students' humanity. She mentioned that while AI can struggle with context and subtext, it offers quick feedback on tasks like learning monologues.

Shelbie Witte raised concerns about AI's impact on education: "I think that there’s a legitimate concern about the lack of critical thinking and creativity." She underscored educators' ethical responsibility to teach students how to engage critically with AI technologies.

Overall, participants agreed on cautious adoption of AI tools in educational settings due to potential biases and impacts on critical thinking skills.