Why AI in the Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the ability to be a critical influence on knowledge and the future of society.

From stand alone apps to sophisticated computer programming systems, it is used to replicate cognitive processes in almost every industry and academic discipline. Like human intelligence, AI can analyze, organize and dispense information super quickly—even faster than what humans can coordinate individually.

AI has profound implications on how humans choose to use and be affected by the technology. With such broad reaching effects on the humanities & earth and social sciences, faculty from across CHESS are enthusiastic about bringing you a whole week of presentations and discussions. 

Times and locations vary through the week, launching with the Religious Studies Phillips Lecture and culminating with a full AI Symposium on Friday. Enjoy snack-size presentations from the Center for Teaching & Learning about resources, in between sessions.

All events are open to the public at no charge and include opportunities for Q&A. Register for events individually.

Sponsor Statement Hosted by the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences in a truly interdisciplinary partnership with the Departments of Religious Studies; Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies; Communication Studies; English; Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences; Organizational Science; Philosophy; Psychological Sciences and  Sociology. In partnership with the Center of Applied Geographic Information Science (CAGIS); the Center for Teaching and Learning and the  Center for Humane AI Studies. We also recognize the CHESS Forty-Niner Intensive Transition (FIT) program for its student contributions.

Life is full of change: THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT AI WEEK IS THE EVENT WEBSITE.

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Monday, Oct. 20

Religious Studies Phillips Lecture: “Governing the Ethical Future of AI: Automation, Humanity, and Democracy”  

Featuring Sylvester A. Johnson, Ph.D. (Northwestern University)

6 p.m. with a reception at 5 p.m., J. Murrey Atkins Library Halton Reading Room

Details and Registration

AI Symposium with the Center for Humane AI Studies (CHAIS) 

Organized by the Center for Humane AI Studies (CHAIS)

2:30 to 5 p.m., Cone Center, Room 210B

Details and registration

NEW DATE! THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED from Friday to Monday 10/20, due to a weekday sporting event on campus.  

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Tuesday, Oct. 21

“Teaching About, Rather Than With, Generative AI: On Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Perspectives” 

Featuring Kefaya Diab, Ph.D. and Wilfredo Flores, Ph.D.

4 to 5 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

Details and Registration

5:05 - 5:20 p.m. (between presentations)

AI Test Kitchen: AI for Critical Reading and Synthesis (NotebookLM)

Offered by the UNC Charlotte Center for Teaching and Learning: Jordan Register, Ph.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist and Rebecca Burry, Ed.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist, Center for Teaching and Learning

“AI in the Work Place”

Featuring Camille G. Endacott, Ph.D.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

Details and Registration

"Teaching English with AI"  

Featuring Rob Conkie, Ph.D., Helen Davies, Ph.D., Mark Hall, Ph.D., Lara Vetter, Ph.D.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Fretwell Building, Room 290B; Watch for more information about this event.

More details and registration

Timeslot available to faculty or alumni in the industry

Send email to chess-events@charlotte.edu

7 to 8 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

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Wednesday, Oct. 22

"Developing the MARIT Framework: Mindful AI & Regulation in Technology for Lifelong Learning." 

Facilitating: Sandra Watts, abridged version of content from the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (AECT) Conference presentation in Las Vegas, NV (10/22/25)

4 p.m., Zoom link to come.

Details and Registration

“Practice, Not Penalty: Centering Student Experiences to Develop Robust AI Pedagogies”

Facilitating: Debarati Dutta, Abby Goetz,  Victoria Smith 

4 to 5 p.m., College of Health & Human Services, Room 155

Details and registration

5:05 - 5:20 p.m. (between presentations)

AI Test Kitchen: Recipe for Prompt Engineering on Brainstorming, Ideation, and CoDesign (Copilot)

Offered by the UNC Charlotte Center for Teaching and Learning: Jordan Register, Ph.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist and Rebecca Burry, Ed.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist, Center for Teaching and Learning

“Keeping the 'Literacy' in AI Literacy”

Organized by the Center for Humane AI Studies (CHAIS)

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., College of Health & Human Services, Room 155

More details and registration

“AI in Reading, Writing, and Learning”

Featuring Alexia Galati, Ph.D. and Anita Sarkar, MTech, MBA

7 to 8 p.m., College of Health & Human Services, Room 155

More details and registration

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Thursday, October 23

“Is AI Deepening Student Loneliness?” 

Featuring Megan Smith, Ph.D.

4 to 5 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

More details and registration

5:05 - 5:20 p.m. (between presentations)

AI Test Kitchen: Recipe for Prompt Engineering on Brainstorming, Ideation, and CoDesign (Copilot)

Offered by the UNC Charlotte Center for Teaching and Learning: Jordan Register, Ph.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist and Rebecca Burry, Ed.D., Instructional Designer/Technologist, Center for Teaching and Learning

"What If?...Writing Studies Pathways and Possibilities for an Ethical AI Future"  

Featuring Justin Cary, M.A., Jessi Rae Morton, M.A., Megan Keaton, Ph.D., and Cat Mahaffey, Ph.D.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

Details and registration

“AI and Spatial Analyses” 

Organized by The Center for Applied Geographic Information Science (CAGIS)

7 to 8 p.m., Mebane Hall, Room 010

Details and registration

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