I found myself seated at the front of a lecture hall on the campus of Ithaca College in New York. It was March 30, 2023. Philosopher Craig Duncan of Ithaca College and Raza Rumi, Director of the Park Center for Independent Media (PCIM), were there with me to...
Artificial Intelligence
AI and the Fears of Being Thrown Away: Reflections on a Classroom Incident in Dallas
The day: Monday, February 27, 2023. The place: A large lecture class in the new Engineering and Computer Science West building at the University of Texas-Dallas. It’s a wide space, accommodating 300 students. Great windows and elegant wood window treatments allow for...
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Justice, and Tom Paine’s Unfinished Revolution
Among revolutionary thinkers, Thomas Paine (1737-1809) is one of the most famous. In the current era of robotic automation and artificial intelligence, Paine’s argument for ever-greater sharing of society’s riches is worth thinking about. How can Paine’s writings from...
Business Analytics, Information Technology, and the Future of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) comprise more than 99% of businesses in the U.S., based on reports issued by the Small Business Administration (SBA). More than any other period in recent memory, business access to a plethora of data and business analytics...
Artificial Intelligence: Everyone’s Life, a Work of Art
In September 2022, “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial” (“Space Opera Theater”) by Jason M. Allen won a blue ribbon at the Colorado State Fair. Outrage ensued. The involvement of an AI software called Midjourney offended many critics. Allen never wielded a paintbrush or mixed...
Is Artificial Intelligence Poised to Disrupt College Teaching?
Many challenges, from enrollment declines to disengaged students to pandemic-induced recalibrations, confront higher education at the moment. But one disruption needs to occupy more space in our conversations: artificial intelligence. It's difficult to predict how...
LaMDA: How Google’s Chatbot Perpetuates the Socio-Political Status Quo
Whether or not Google’s chatbot is sentient, we — the social we — are both its tutors and its clients. We need to take responsibility for the words we leave behind.