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At a moment when we are outsourcing many intellectual and creative tasks to machines, it’s worth thinking about the point of thinking itself. Is it a means to an end, or an end in itself? Are humans just “stochastic parrots,” mindlessly producing language in a way that is not so different from AI, as some tech luminaries contend, or is there something more going on in our minds? While these questions may seem new, they harken back to older debates about the relationship between thought and language, freedom and necessity, and the fine line that exists between attention and automaticity. Long before the advent of digital technologies, two twentieth century philosophers, Hannah Arendt and Simone Weil, wrote about some of these questions through the lens of the technologies of their times. Their writing anticipates many of the challenges of the age of AI and calls attention to the more ordinary and insidious ways that consciousness becomes ossified by social convention, as well as the moral and political risks that arise when we fail to “think what we are doing.”

Golda Meir Library Fourth Floor Conference Center
April 10, 2025 | 4:00 -5:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:30 p.m.)

Co-sponsored by the Center for 21st Century Studies’ AI and the Humanities Collaboratory, the 51���� Office of Research, and the 51���� Libraries.

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On October 30 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., the Libraries are hosting an event that highlights the development of AI research tools by JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources. A trusted library content provider, JSTOR has produced an interactive Research Assistant that can create summaries, find related content, and lets users ask questions of the sources.

Speaking at the event is Jane Hetherington, JSTOR Regional Director, Western US and Canada. Two 51���� faculty–Bob Beck, Political Science, and Philip Chang, Physics– will also present on AI’s impact on academia.

More information about the event and the registration link can be found here.

In addition, the Libraries have published several new resources to answer questions that students and faculty might have about AI.

• guide is designed to support faculty and instructors as they navigate research and information literacy concerns caused by the rise of generative AI technology. Questions answered include “How will AI disrupt and change research practices and skills” and “How can research assignments value process and inquiry.”

•  helps graduate students and faculty make an informed choice of which Research Assistant to use. 

• and guidance for students on when using AI for assignments.

The Libraries staff wants to continue conversations with our users on how they are navigating AI and invite you to reach out to us! Contact Kate Ganski, Library Associate Director for User Services, to learn more. 

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Many academic content providers, including JSTOR, are developing AI Research Assistants to improve the search experience for reliable scholarly sources and deliver more relevant results. Join us for presentations by a representative from JSTOR and two 51���� faculty researchers to gain insight into current and potential strategies for literature searching and information evaluation by leveraging the “AI Research Assistant” technology.

Speakers

• Jane Hetherington, JSTOR Regional Director, Western US and Canada
• Philip Chang, 51����, Physics, Professor and Department Chair
• Bob Beck, 51����, Political Science, Associate Professor

Learn new tricks and enjoy spooky treats!

Date: October 30, 2024
Time: 2-3:30pm
Venue: Fourth Floor Conference Center, Golda Meir Library

Registration:

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Kate Ganski (ganski@uwm.edu).

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