Resources:
Sarah Rigg's Feature Article: Generative AI summit at EMU aims to present diverse views on disruptive technology
EMU Office of Campus and Community Writing
Learning Together at the Forefront of Change: Gen AI Spring Summit at Eastern Michigan University
Transcription:
Lee Van Roth: You're listening to 89.1 WEMU. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. This month, Eastern Michigan University will host a regional Gen AI Summit at the EMU Student Center and Halle Library. The event organized through EMU's Office of Campus and Community Writing and the Faculty Development Center will bring together educators, students, librarians, workplace professionals, and community members for a day of discussion and exploration about how generative AI is reshaping learning and work. With me today to talk about the summit, what attendees can expect and why creating space for these conversations matters is Dr. Ann Blakeslee of EMU's Writing Center and YpsiWrites. Ann, thank you so much for joining me here today!
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Thanks, Lee! It's really great to be here!
Lee Van Roth: So, to start us off, I mean, I have a guess of what sparked the idea for this summit, but can you give us an idea of why the Writing Center and YpsiWrites felt this was the time to bring people together to discuss generative AI?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Sure. We've been involved in working with faculty across campus and students for the last couple of years ever since ChatGPT hit the scene. And as things have evolved, I've seen a lot of interest among our faculty and our students and a lot concerns. And I'm also out in the community and working and talking with K-12 teachers, and I was realizing that there would be real benefit to bring all of our different groups together. We held a Gen AI forum in November, and that was all EMU people. And we had, in a very short span of time, over 100 people registered, so there's clearly interest in having these conversations, and we have 400 people registered for the event next week, so there definitely is interest.
Lee Van Roth: And you mentioned having discussions, not only with faculty here at EMU, but other educators within the community. This event is open to pretty much anyone. This is a free event to register for. Why was it important to structure this type of event in that way that makes it as broad as possible for folks to come in and learn something new?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Right. You mentioned that it's free, and that was a real priority for us because we wanted these conversations to be open to everyone. We were especially concerned that students be able to come and share their viewpoints and perspectives. And as you know, I'm sure Gen AI is not a value-neutral kind of thing or technology. And there's a lot we have to be concerned about. There are certainly opportunities. And we can't ignore it in the educational sector. We have to really maybe not embrace it in an enthusiastic way all the time, but we have to approach it ethically and responsibly. And I think we all need to be at the table to have the conversations about how to make that happen and how to accomplish that.
Lee Van Roth: And is there a general idea, at least from either going into it and the planning or in deciding guest speakers and folks to come in, how are you hoping these conversations kind of go and sound at the event?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: So, we put a call out and we had a tremendous response, even better than we anticipated. And we have a number of sessions. We have six time slots and we have seven sessions--concurrent sessions--running each of those time slots. Those sessions are varied. They're individual presentations, panels, roundtables, workshops, collaborative workshops. So, a lot of different formats that people can choose from. And they're being facilitated and presented by a number of individuals. And we have a great mix of educators, workplace professionals, and students. So, people will really be able to get a variety of viewpoints, perspectives, engage in these conversations in a number of ways. We have a lunchtime speaker, who is a workplace professional, who will talk about the human dimensions and why it's so important to have our viewpoints and perspectives involved and our judgment involved with AI. And we just have a lot of different vantage points with this that I think will expand everyone's thinking about how we approach this and how we can be responsible, again, and ethical in approaching it with our students and in our own work and lives.
Lee Van Roth: And the ethics side of it is pretty interesting to me, especially as a journalist and a writer and seeing how these different tools and resources--generative AI tools and resources--are kind of impacting the landscape that I sort of live in. I'm really interested in how the within the developing of the kind of process. What was going through your mind and the other developers' minds of how do we approach these very stark opinions when it comes to generative AI, AI in general, especially? We have folks in one camp who are all for it 100%. We have people in the other camp who completely against it. How do you allow those two parties to meet in the middle and find understanding together?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: I think that's a really important question. I wish I had a really simple answer to it. I think it's very complicated. I'm thinking as you're talking. We have a group of faculty members, for example, a lot of whom are from the philosophy department who are doing a session, and I have had a preview of the session at the Fall Forum, where they're talking a lot about critical thinking and a lot about student learning and student cognition and how we have to really uphold those values that we have as educators with our students. I hear, unfortunately, sometimes, teachers, and I understand this at all levels, K through post-secondary, who say, "Well, I just won't assign writing anymore. Why bother?" Well, there's a lot of reasons to bother, and, primarily, that has to do with critical thinking, and we all have to be critical thinkers. I think we all have to be not accepting, but at least open-minded about this technology because it very much is going to be part of our futures, but we also have to approach it critically. Again, I'm overusing this term, but responsibly. You've certainly heard about all the debates going on about data centers being built. There are all the environmental concerns, the amount of water it uses and energy, and all of those that we have to be really mindful of. And our hope is that we have such a diverse group coming together that we can really put all those issues on the table.
Lee Van Roth: This is WEMU's On the Ground Ypsi. I'm Lee Van Roth, speaking with Dr. Ann Blakeslee about the upcoming Gen AI Summit at Eastern Michigan University. And beyond these discussions that will be taking place on March 16th?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Yes. Monday, March 16th. All day.
Lee Van Roth: There is also this hope with the summit that there will be a sort of opportunities to build a network of individuals throughout the EMU community, throughout the Ypsi community, perhaps even beyond. Why is that sort of ongoing collaboration and building that ongoing collaboration so important as, just as you mentioned, as we see AI kind of move forward in this way, kind of whether you like it or not, we have this tool now. How do we come together to, as you mentioned, use it responsibly and ethically?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: My short response to that is we're better together. And I've participated in a lot of webinars and other events that don't have any sort of continuity or follow-up. And I think it's really important for us to be able to continue the conversation. So, while the event is a single day, it will wrap up by 4:30 next Monday, I hope that people just don't walk away that we've established connections with one another that we have ways of continuing these conversations and these important debates and moving forward as a collective collaboratively to address the challenges, the issues, the problems, and the opportunities.
Lee Van Roth: And as difficult as it is to, I don't know, avoid AI completely these days, especially, I'm sure there will be folks who want to drop by this event that are not very knowledgeable about it, or at least not as knowledgeable as they would like to be, or maybe feel overwhelmed by all of the different uses and possibilities that generative AI has. Is there a hope that this summit could help more folks, not just learn more, but maybe feel a little bit less overwhelmed, a little less scared of the future, so to speak, after being able to have all of these conversations and listen to these speakers?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Absolutely! That was very much on the minds of all of the people. We have faculty from across the university, administrators and staff who have helped plan this event. That's been something we've prioritized. We have all of the sessions labeled and leveled, so people have a sense of what they're walking into, whether it's at the appropriate level for them, whether they're just starting out, don't know anything about it, or really seasoned and very competent and proficient with it.
Lee Van Roth: And for anyone considering attending on March 16th, or maybe if they're on the fence about it, if they think, "Oh, I could go, but maybe I know enough," or whatever the case may be, is there anything that you are most excited for or looking forward to for folks to experience?
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: I think there will be a lot of continuity throughout the day. We have an activity planned over the breakfast. We plan to carry some themes. There'll be opportunities to participate and to contribute for everyone their own perspectives through some interactive activities we have. And I think they'll just be an opportunity for people to have their voices heard. And I think that's of utmost importance with something like this.
Lee Van Roth: Well, Ann, I want to thank you so much for joining me here today and for sharing a little bit more about this upcoming Gen AI summit. I hope that it is an event that is just full of education and positivity. You know, this is a topic that gets people a little bit fired up, whatever direction that happens to be. And we could all use a little bit more knowledge.
Dr. Ann Blakeslee: Thanks, Lee! I think there will be a lot of healthy debate, which is a good thing. And I also want to thank all of our sponsors who really have allowed this to be free and open to everyone who wants to attend.
Lee Van Roth: For more on today's conversation and a link to the full article, visit our website at WEMU.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I'm Lee Van Roth, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU, Ypsilanti.
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