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Jun 07, 2025
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HUMAN 0750 - AI CULTURE
Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
Digital Humanities and MMDC have long been at the forefront of new technology within the cultural sphere, and the two newest members on the list, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are at once topical, effective, and fast becoming ubiquitous. AI software, both in textual composition and in artistic composition, has long eclipsed the rudimentary versions that first appeared on scene nearly a decade ago, and, with the release of GPT-4, the rapid uptake and proliferation of such technology is only sure to accelerate. This course aims to position itself upon the wave of such technology, demonstrating the nature of MMDC and introducing students to what will certainly be in the very near future an irreplaceable part of their respective job environs, as well as supporting students within Composition courses who will be asked to utilize algorithmic composition software within their work. This course employs a tripart approach to situating and discussing AI tech, borrowing from ethics (to discuss the ethical ramifications of such tech), MMDC (to demonstrate and implement the use of these tools (the bulk of the class), and literature (speculative sci-fi in particular, although the relative speculation of those texts is perhaps speculative no longer). By examining, producing, and reflecting upon AI products and products of culture (i.e. art and literature), students will be better equipped to not only succeed in the workforce but will also be more ethically and morally capable of discussing thorny digital issues like authorship, authenticity, and moral algorithms. By combining the various aspects of Artificial Intelligence composition (text, art, research, and presentation), the class will demonstrate the viability, versatility, and general knowledge required to make AI tools work in service of the student as opposed to being either “magical tool for cheating” or “arcane super technology,” neither of which is accurate nor in service to the students’ best interests. The contextualization of such tech will likewise assist in standardizing and normalizing its use in the job market, a time which is fast leaving “what if?” and soon becoming “what now?” It should be noted-and repeated-that production of assignments within this context are not AI only. In other words, at no point are students permitted or encouraged to produce content solely through the use of AI tools. All AI and ML tools in class are designed to work in service of scholarship and not as a replacement to it; for example, the first lessons within the class deal with the ethical and appropriate use of AI software.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: Letter Grade
Click here for class schedule information.
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