Humanists Talk about AI: A conversation with Eric Brown and Blake Francis 12-1 pm Wed. Feb. 18, 2026, room 216 PAHB

Humanists Talk about AI: A conversation with Eric Brown and Blake Francis

 12 - 1 PM Wed. Feb. 18, 2026, room 216 PAHB

UMBC Professors Eric Brown and Blake Francis will address the questions:
  • What do Humanities Professors think about AI?
  • How do historians and philosophers think about artificial intelligence?
  • How can the Humanities bring a critical perspective on AI?
Eric Brown is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Individualized Study Program and Affiliate Faculty in the Human Context of Science and Technology Program. Blake Francis is an Assistant Professor in Philosophy and Director of the Human Context of Science and Technology Program.

Students are especially encouraged to attend and pizza will be served. 

Space is limited so advanced registration is required.

Sponsored by the Dresher Center's Humanities & AI Working Group and the Human Context for Science and Technology program. Send questions to dreshercenter@umbc.edu.
]]> Humanists Talk about AI: A conversation with Eric Brown and Blake Francis  12 - 1 PM Wed. Feb. 18, 2026, room 216 PAHB UMBC Professors Eric Brown and Blake Francis will address the questions:... https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerkhtIIEoNpLjl_i5H28MNlvBBZAa85y8drLwJH3RohBHU3Q/viewform https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/156064/guest@my.umbc.edu/9bc317ad4d8427005f449267d114161e/api/pixel ai history humanities philosophy UMBC AI https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC AI https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/xxlarge.jpg?1769976974 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/xlarge.jpg?1769976974 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/large.jpg?1769976974 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/medium.jpg?1769976974 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/small.jpg?1769976974 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/xsmall.jpg?1769976974 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/156/064/82555950e0412205ae5e27cf55034213/xxsmall.jpg?1769976974 Humanists talk about AI 0 0 true Sun, 01 Feb 2026 15:47:57 -0500 Working group on AI and the Humanities Two open sessions next week to identify issues to work on UMBC's Dresher Center for the Humanities has a new working group on AI and the Humanities led by Professor Tim Phin from the Department of Ancient Studies. The group will hold two open sessions next week in the Dresher Center conference room (PAHB 216) and online to discuss and identify issues to work on. Here is a description of the group. 

Generative AI is transforming the landscape of higher education. There are ethical, pedagogical, and humanistic questions around this technology that will be best answered by the work of a combined group of humanists. This group will provide a place for humanists from many fields to come together to contend with the issues central to the Humanities and generative AI: particularly issues surrounding the purpose of this technology, the impact it has on human communities, and the future role of the university in navigating the concerns raised by generative AI. This group will be a place to advocate for the importance of the Humanities in any conversation at UMBC pertaining to AI. We recognize that human intelligence is necessary for us to evaluate the place of artificial intelligence in society.
]]> UMBC's Dresher Center for the Humanities has a new working group on AI and the Humanities led by Professor Tim Phin from the Department of Ancient Studies. The group will hold two open... https://dreshercenter.umbc.edu/news/post/155008/ https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/155052/guest@my.umbc.edu/3302f6883e57792de0433311e14644d2/api/pixel ai dresher-center humanities umbc UMBC AI https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 UMBC AI https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/xxlarge.jpg?1764864896 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/xlarge.jpg?1764864896 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/large.jpg?1764864896 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/medium.jpg?1764864896 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/small.jpg?1764864896 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/xsmall.jpg?1764864896 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/155/052/75095b9fc79ec3271af97626c0a50ed7/xxsmall.jpg?1764864896 Working group on AI and the Humanities 0 0 true Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:28:04 -0500 UMBC Dept. of English: AI and the Humanities, 12-1 Wed. March 5 Workshop with Virginia Dignum, in person, 216 PAHB UMBC
Increasingly, companies spearheading artificial intelligence technology are relying on those with humanities expertise to engage in discussions about the design and deployment of AI. In recent years, corporations ranging from Boeing to Microsoft have hired philosophers, anthropologists, sociologists and experts in cultural studies to collaborate with technologists on the development of new AI tools. Even governments are calling on humanistic expertise as AI-innovations disperse through societies. What is the role of humanities in these spaces? What kinds of questions do humanists confront? Why is their expertise needed?

In this workshop, Professor Virginia Dignum will guide you through real-life examples of AI problems that have benefited from the critical, interpretive and analytical capabilities that humanities training can supply. Come to learn more about:
  • The types of questions humanities experts are called on to confront in the AI-space;
  • How humanistic and technical reasoning can collaborate, and why each has a role to play in the development of AI technology;
  • The skills you (as a humanist) have that you can apply to technological discussions;
  • Why your insights are necessary for a more equitable and just AI-driven society.
Space is limited, register here

Virginia Dignum is Professor of Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Umeå University, Sweden where she leads the AI Policy Lab. She is also senior advisor on AI policy to the Wallenberg Foundations. She has a PHD in Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University in 2004, is member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), and Fellow of the European Artificial Intelligence Association (EURAI). She is a member of the United Nations Advisory Body on AI, the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), UNESCO’s expert group on the implementation of AI recommendations, OECD’s Expert group on AI, founder of ALLAI, the Dutch AI Alliance, and co-chair of the WEF’s Global Future Council on AI. She was a member of EU’s High Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence and leader of UNICEF's guidance for AI and children. Her new book The AI Paradox, is planned for publication in 2025.

This event is part of the Breaking the M.O.L.D. initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation.

UMBC Center for AI ]]> Increasingly, companies spearheading artificial intelligence technology are relying on those with humanities expertise to engage in discussions about the design and deployment of AI. In recent... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/dreshercenter/events/137495 https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/147201/guest@my.umbc.edu/d681316c5c4de20a0d1895cd167312ae/api/pixel ai humanities UMBC AI https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/umbc-ai https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/original.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xlarge.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/large.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/medium.png?1691095779 https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/small.png?1691095779 https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xsmall.png?1691095779 https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/002/081/cfb27ebe008c2636486089a759ea5c36/xxsmall.png?1691095779 Cntr for Social Science Scholarship, Dresher Cntr, English 0 0 true Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:40:10 -0500 Tue, 11 Feb 2025 17:22:56 -0500