The Humanities Center is happy to announce that Amy Weiss, Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies and History, will lead the 2025–26 Humanities Honors Seminar on the topic “AI in Action: The Future of Humans.” The fall semester will be a seminar-style class taught to a group of fifteen student fellows, whereas the spring semester will be a public lecture series with participation from faculty fellows.
Professor Weiss’ class will explore how artificial intelligence, often considered to be a twenty-first century innovation, has existed as a discreet field since the 1950s and is based on even earlier models on the ways in which humans have contemplated the many uses of technology as a means of improving their lives. Beginning with a study of Shelly’s Frankenstein, the seminar will examine the historical, social and industry-based developments of AI in order to better understand the ethical and economic implications of this technology. Specific topics covered will include industrialization and gender; reality v. deep fakes; AI in academia, the law and medicine; and AI in career trajectories.
The Humanities Center will send out calls in Spring 2025 for Student and Faculty Fellows to participate in the seminar on “AI in Action.”