AI @ FAS Symposium
Join us at the AI @ FAS Symposium to learn about the innovative ways faculty, staff, and students are applying artificial intelligence across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Join Us!
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Northwest Building
The event, open to the entire Harvard community, will showcase projects focused on academic and research integrity, enhancing pedagogy, and streamlining administration. Attendees will hear from faculty, students, and staff who are leveraging AI’s potential while thoughtfully addressing its challenges. Attendees are welcome to join throughout the day—dropping into sessions as schedules permit.
Agenda
Please check back regularly for updates to the event agenda and programming as the AI @ FAS Symposium approaches.
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
- Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
- Welcome & Introduction with FAS Dean Hopi Hoekstra, AI Systems Working Group Co-Chairs Latanya Sweeney and Scott Jordan, and Chris Stubbs, Senior Adviser for AI (B103)
- Featured Panel: “Can we talk about…original scholarship in the age of AI?” (B103)
- What does it mean for your work to be your own? There is no single answer to this question and across academia those responses will likely differ based on the norms and values of different disciplines. This panel seeks to explore the shifting boundaries and ethical considerations of authorship in the age of AI and how those vary across fields, bringing together faculty from both the arts and sciences. Co-sponsored by the Mahindra Humanities Center & the Edmund & Lily Safra Center for Ethics.
- Amanda Claybaugh (moderator), Dean of Undergraduate Education and Samuel Zemurray Jr. and Doris Zemurray Stone Radcliffe Professor of English
- Melissa Dell, Andrew E. Furer Professor of Economics
- David Joselit, Arthur Kingsley Professor of Art, Film, and Visual Studies
- Alex Csiszar, Professor of the History of Science
- Michael D. Smith, John H. Finley, Jr. Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences, SEAS and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor
- What does it mean for your work to be your own? There is no single answer to this question and across academia those responses will likely differ based on the norms and values of different disciplines. This panel seeks to explore the shifting boundaries and ethical considerations of authorship in the age of AI and how those vary across fields, bringing together faculty from both the arts and sciences. Co-sponsored by the Mahindra Humanities Center & the Edmund & Lily Safra Center for Ethics.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
- Faculty Research & AI Show-and-Tell (B103)
- Faculty from a variety of disciplines will share case studies of how they are incorporating GAI into their research.
- AI Teaching Tools and Innovation Show-and-Tell (B101)
- Panelists from the Bok Center and HUIT will share examples of how faculty used GAI in their teaching this year and showcase some of the tools that HUIT is building that instructors can adopt and integrate into their own classrooms.
- David Heitmeyer, Director, Academic Platform Development, HUIT
- Christine D’Auria, Assistant Director of the Learning Lab, Bok Center
- Evangelos Kassos ’23, Teaching Assistant, Economics 50
- Marlon Kuzmick, Director of the Learning Lab, Bok Center
- Panelists from the Bok Center and HUIT will share examples of how faculty used GAI in their teaching this year and showcase some of the tools that HUIT is building that instructors can adopt and integrate into their own classrooms.
- Student Perspectives on Generative AI (B108)
- Bringing together their experiences from across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, student panelists will discuss their perspective on how Harvard can prepare for transformative changes from AI. Topics will include university investments in new coursework, research agendas, and student career and mental health resources. Panelists will also discuss what they see as Harvard’s role in preparing the world for social upheavals and economic shocks from AI.
- Gabe Wu ’25 (moderator), Computer Science and Math
- Naomi Bashkansy ’25, Computer Science
- Jeffrey Andrade, GSAS, Systems Biology
- Fred Heiding, GSAS, Computer Science and Cybersecurity, SEAS
- Chinmay Deshpande ’24, Philosophy and Math
- Chloe Loughridge ’24, Computer Science
- Bringing together their experiences from across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, student panelists will discuss their perspective on how Harvard can prepare for transformative changes from AI. Topics will include university investments in new coursework, research agendas, and student career and mental health resources. Panelists will also discuss what they see as Harvard’s role in preparing the world for social upheavals and economic shocks from AI.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- GAI Workshop for Beginners (B103)
- Logan McCarty, Assistant Dean of Science Education and co-instructor for GenEd 1188 “Rise of the Machines? Understanding and Using Generative AI” will lead an interactive workshop to introduce you to GAI tools, including the Harvard Sandbox. This workshop will include live demonstrations and guided activities, so please bring your laptop!
- Harvard Library AI Explorations and Opportunities (B101)
- Staff from across Harvard Library will share information about law, information policy, and AI, survey research on student usage of AI for academic work, opportunities for new ways to approach research, teaching, and learning that leverage AI, and some exciting technology projects.
- Panelists:
- Martha Whitehead, Vice President for the Harvard Library and University Librarian, Roy E. Larsen Libraries for the Faculty of Arts & Sciences
- Kyle Courtney, Esq., Director of Copyright and Information Policy
- Amy Deschenes, Head of UX and Digital Accessibility
- Lee LaFleur, Associate Librarian for Research, Teaching, and Learning Services for FAS
- Stu Snydman, Associate University Librarian and Managing Director for Library Technology
- Panelists:
- Staff from across Harvard Library will share information about law, information policy, and AI, survey research on student usage of AI for academic work, opportunities for new ways to approach research, teaching, and learning that leverage AI, and some exciting technology projects.
- GOV1430 Tech Science to Save the World and DP1642 Grand Challenges in Technology-Society Clashes Poster Session
- GOV1430 (Tech Science to Save the World) and DPI642 (Grand Challenges in Technology-Society Clashes) explore how scientific experimentation and technology can be used to solve real-world problems. Students will present their final projects in the form of a poster fair.
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
- Lunch
- GOV1430 Tech Science to Save the World and DP1642 Grand Challenges in Technology-Society Clashes Poster Session
- GOV1430 (Tech Science to Save the World) and DPI642 (Grand Challenges in Technology-Society Clashes) explore how scientific experimentation and technology can be used to solve real-world problems. Students will present their final projects in the form of a poster fair.
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
- Administrative Innovations Show-and-Tell (B103)
- Administrators from across FAS will share exciting real-life examples of how they are using GAI ethically and safely to help them do their work in new ways.
- Panelists:
- Ismael Carreras (moderator), Associate Dean of Strategic Analysis
- Bridget Cooney, Principal Project Manager
- Naveen Reddy, Strategic Director of Endowment and Gifts
- Kathy Santoro, Senior Director of HR Programs and Operations
- Panelists:
- Administrators from across FAS will share exciting real-life examples of how they are using GAI ethically and safely to help them do their work in new ways.
- Student Engagement Show-and-Tell (B101)
- Selected students from GenEd 1188: Rise of the Machines? Understanding and Using Generative AI will share their final projects from the course, which illustrate current and future aspects of GAI.