Generative artificial intelligence and higher education is the topic of the next Provost’s Ethics Colloquium, which will feature a keynote speech and a panel discussion on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

The event, being held from 4-6 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Theatre, is free and open to all faculty, staff and students. It will feature keynote speaker Abram Anders, an associate professor of English and interim associate director of the Student Innovation Center at Iowa State University.

Abram will share emerging resources for ethical AI use, including a new tool that he and a collaborator created. It is a prompt and guide that transforms ChatGPT (or another AI tool) into a personal AI ethics tutor for students, faculty or anyone else interested in exploring ethical AI.

His presentation, titled “Generative AI and Higher Education: Ethics, Opportunities, and Emerging Applications,” will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the range of scholarly work at CSU leveraging AI approaches to studying problems broadly affecting people and communities. The panel is intended to stimulate conversations about the promise of AI, the ethical concerns that accompany its application and how those ethical concerns may vary across disciplines.

The panelists

The CSU panel members are:

• Tim Amidon, associate professor
  Department of English
  Director, Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy Programs
• Meena Balgopal, professor
  Department of Biology
  University Distinguished Teaching Scholar
• Laura Sample-McMeeking
  Executive director, CSU STEM Center
• Wade Troxell, associate professor
  Department of Mechanical Engineering

“The Provost’s Ethics Colloquium has given considerable attention over the past year to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, and we appreciate Interim Provost Jan Nerger’s investment in this important issue for higher education,” said Matt Hickey, University Distinguished Teaching Scholar and associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Health and Human Sciences. “Dr. Anders’ keynote, and the following panel discussion, provides an opportunity for our campus community to consider how best to leverage AI technologies as we pursue our mission of encouraging life-long learning.”

Prior registration is not required, but seating will be limited. A recording will be available after the event at: ethics.colostate.edu. This session is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Center for Ethics and Human Rights at Colorado State University, and the Data Science Research Institute.

Related topics at recent Provost’s Ethics Colloquiums have included ChatGPT and the ethics of AI.

About the series

The Provost’s Ethics Colloquium was launched in 2016 to promote cross-disciplinary, cross-college conversations about ethics-related issues. By highlighting existing ethics seminars and activities, encouraging additional events and providing virtual resources, the Colloquium fosters increased interaction and collaboration among faculty and staff members working with an ethical perspective on virtually any issue facing the community. The colloquium resumed in Fall 2022 after being temporarily paused during the pandemic.

More information is available at ethics.colostate.edu/speakers-and-events.