LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences Announces AI-Engaged Classroom in the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative
10/5/2023
BATON ROUGE – Today the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) announced it is rolling out an array of courses for the Spring 2024 semester
engaging artificial intelligence. This initiative highlights the college’s role as
a leader in framing understanding of AI and the ways it transforms our world. Courses
in the AI-Engaged Classroom in the Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative will
provide students with opportunities to familiarize themselves with research methods
in the era of AI, to reflect on the challenges AI poses, and to explore new forms
of discovery with AI. “HSS prepares students for a human-centered future,” said Troy
Blanchard, dean of the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences. “These courses
are an exciting opportunity to showcase how the humanities and social sciences disciplines
often intersect with emerging technologies,” he added.
The courses in the AI-Engaged Classroom in Humanities and Social Sciences Initiative
include introductory, intermediate, and advanced classes, offered by over 30 faculty
members across 8 departments in HSS. These courses take a wide range of approaches
to thinking about and working with AI. In the Department of English, classes on writing
combine using AI tools to augment the composition process with challenging students
to develop skillsets for the transparent and responsible use of AI in drafting and
revising original materials. “For English, the relationship between AI and writing
is a pressing question that must be explored rather than resisted,” said Susan Weinstein,
chair of the LSU Department of English and MacCurdy Distinguished Professor of English. “Our AI-engaged English courses
will immerse LSU students in critical conversations and innovative approaches to thinking,
working, and imagining differently in the age of artificial intelligence.”
Courses in Sociology and in Political Science will explore implications of AI for
a changing cultural landscape, and as pertains to the labor economy and global markets.
Innovative language courses will harness the resources supplied by large language
models to accelerate students’ learning. A philosophy course will examine the way
AI outputs are shaped by their often incomplete or biased inputs, and students will
consider the responsibilities engineers, developers, and users of AI have, knowing
these limitations. “The humanities and social sciences are central to helping improve
AI design and implementation since they are uniquely positioned to address issues
such as heuristic biases, representation, and digital hallucination,” said Jon Cogburn,
professor and chair of the LSU Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies. “Through their studies in the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, students
will improve their ability to use and adapt these emerging technologies in their life
and work, and many will become leaders in developing them,” Cogburn added.
Courses at the intersection of AI-informed technology and clinical training will improve
mental and developmental health outcomes. “It is critical for HSS to lead the efforts
regarding the infusion of AI into the curriculum,” said Emily Elliott, professor and
chair of the LSU Department of Psychology. “Both Psychology and Communication Sciences & Disorders have an overlap with physical
and mental health, and the use of AI tools in our research and clinical work has the
potential to be transformative for future assessment, diagnostic, and intervention
work.”
LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda focuses on addressing critical problems through ground-breaking
research and discovery. “This faculty-driven, AI-Engaged Classroom in the Humanities
and Social Sciences Initiative underlines our college's role as a leader in advancing
this agenda,” said Blanchard. “Our faculty and students are confronting the critical
role of AI in shaping the human-centered future of Louisiana, the nation, and the
world.”
About the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences
The LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences positions students, faculty, and staff to be visionary leaders in their respective fields, a tradition of excellence that began with the college’s inception in 1908. For more news and information about the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, visit hss.lsu.edu.
Like us on Facebook (@LSUHSS) or follow us on Twitter (@LSUHSS) and Instagram (@lsu_hss).
Contact Sarah Gaar Keller
LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences
sarahg@lsu.edu
The LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences positions students, faculty, and staff to be visionary leaders in their respective fields, a tradition of excellence that began with the college’s inception in 1908. For more news and information about the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, visit hss.lsu.edu.
Like us on Facebook (@LSUHSS) or follow us on Twitter (@LSUHSS) and Instagram (@lsu_hss).
Contact Sarah Gaar Keller
LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences
sarahg@lsu.edu
Abbi Rocha Laymoun
LSU Media Relations