Why AI Needs the Humanities as a Partner

Wolf Humanities Center • University of Pennsylvania

2024–2025 FORUM ON KEYWORDS

It is not hard to convince humanists that the field of artificial intelligence ought to be listening to us. What is not as widely recognized is that AI researchers know this and are seeking guidance. The tools produced by generative AI are effectively models of culture, and they fail to solve important problems without a model of cultural pluralism. After explaining why these problems matter—even to tech companies—I'll explore the institutional conditions we would need for humanists and computer scientists to work together on them as partners.

is Professor of Information Sciences and English at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of three books on literary history, most recently Distant Horizons: Digital Evidence and Literary Change (Chicago, 2019), but also publishes papers in venues like Sociological Science and the Association for Computational Linguistics. His current project involves building language models that incorporate viewpoint diversity and cultural change as central principles.

More information: https://wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/events/underwood

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This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

The Wolf Humanities Center values inclusivity and we aim to create a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds. Please feel free to note any accessibility needs or concerns in your registration, or connect with us by email or phone (215.573.8280).

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Van Pelt Library, 3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, United States