Charles Library transformed into a hub of innovation this week as students, faculty and researchers gathered for the university’s Interactive AI Fair. The event showcased the evolving role of artificial intelligence in academia and beyond.
“The energy around it, the kind of excitement – people weren’t sure what it was, but they were curious,” said Brian Hutler, philosophy professor and event organizer. “Even the folks involved in organizing didn’t really know if it was going to work. But we are very happy.”
The two-day event, held on Feb. 25 and 26, attracted more than 150 attendees each day, all intrigued by AI’s growing presence in various industries. The fair featured a variety of activities, including panel discussions, workshops and hands-on exhibits. With expert speakers and interactive demonstrations, the event highlighted AI’s impact on multiple industries and daily life.
Throughout the fair, attendees dove into a mix of activities, from explanations of AI governance to creative usages of AI for writing. One of the standout moments was a robot demonstration, where an AI-powered robot showed off its ability to navigate through a crowded room – a literal example of how AI is stepping into the real world in a big way.
Andrew John Wit, an associate professor of architecture at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture, presented at the AI Fair. He focused on how he integrates artificial intelligence into his creative process in architecture and design and discussed the challenges of working with tools like AI when his own creative process doesn’t involve visualization.
Wit emphasized that while AI can be a useful tool for pushing creative boundaries, it’s crucial to understand its potential and limitations.
“I’m not pro AI or robotics, but I’m also not against them,” Wit said. “I collaborate with a lot of people. I collaborate with a lot of things that aren’t human. My tools are just ways for me to make the stuff that I can’t see in my head.”
Wit’s stance on AI in architecture aligns with a growing discourse in creative industries about the symbiotic relationship between human intuition and technological advancement. While AI can enhance efficiency and expand the realm of possibility, it also challenges traditional notions of originality.
For designers like Wit, the goal isn’t to replace human ingenuity, but to use AI as a resource to complement and extend the creative process.
While AI opens doors for innovation, the excitement surrounding its possibilities is not without its concerns. The closing panel at the AI Fair delved into the balance between innovation and integrity in the application of AI, a sentiment that aligns with the challenges many creators face when integrating AI into their work.
Joe Lucia, Dean of Libraries at Temple, shared his perspective among other experts.
“I’m fascinated by the technology,” Lucia said. “I work with it. I think it’s really exciting in many ways, but I also think that sometimes when these things play out, at least over the short term, we don’t fully understand all of the consequences.”
Lucia’s concern mirrors the challenges faced by those like Wit, who stressed the balance between utilizing AI as a tool and maintaining human control over the creative process. As AI continues to evolve, the question that remains is how society can ensure that its integration into different fields promotes innovation without compromising ethical standards or overlooking unintended consequences.
Throughout the event, attendees of all ages actively engaged with the speakers and posed insightful questions and sparking discussions that deepened the conversation around AI’s future. The diverse audience was an example of the broad interest in AI’s potential, highlighting the universal curiosity and concern about how these technologies will shape the future.
One specific conversation was about the use of Chat GPT in academia, with faculty members raising questions about the technology disrupting the creative process.
“To me, it was a perfect encapsulation of the ethos right now,” said Kevin Doherty, a philosophy PhD student and event organizer. “The presentations are being given, students are using these tools and faculty have to learn to deal with that, right? That was a room with 67 students and 3 concerned faculty. This is the direction that we’re going. Students are going to use these tools.”
Behind the scenes, organizing the AI Fair required a great deal of coordination and careful planning to ensure that the event would both showcase cutting-edge technology and encourage meaningful dialogue around its impact.
After planning the event for a year, Hutler’s goal was not only to display AI’s capabilities but to spark critical conversations about its potential to shape our lives in both positive and challenging ways.
The event’s success wasn’t just due to the advanced technology on display but also the team of organizers, including Temple’s own staff and students. Among them was Doherty, who played a key role in spreading word about the AI Fair.
“The core aim of this project was to tackle a notion of AI literacy,” Doherty said. “We need to think of AI literacy as a problem where we have obligations to make sure students and the general public know about AI. And libraries are places where, historically, there’s been public knowledge, easy access to knowledge, and hopefully the place where people can talk about these things.”
Be the first to comment