Grand Challenge First-Year Seminar: AI, Humanity, and the Future of Knowledge and Creativity
Course Number: 66-154
This course addresses the complex challenge of understanding the interplay between artificial intelligence (AI), humanity and the humanities. It examines how AI transforms humanity’s understanding of intelligence, creativity and knowledge at both individual and societal levels, while introducing new cultural and ethical dilemmas in the process. Additionally, it explores how the discipline of the humanities — traditionally focused on human culture, history and meaning — adapts to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
A defining feature of this course is its emphasis on intercultural and interdisciplinary perspectives, to ensure that students are exposed to a wide range of viewpoints that critically examine the multifaceted ways in which AI influences and is influenced by different cultures, disciplines, values and traditions. Guest speakers from various fields, including Information Systems, Cultural Studies, Digital Humanities, Computer Science, Engineering, Business and more, will be invited to share their expertise and insights. Students will engage with critical questions such as how AI challenges traditional boundaries between humans and machines, how the humanities adapt to new forms of machine intelligence, creativity and knowledge production, how AI systems can perpetuate biases that threaten cultural diversity, and how humanity and the humanities can collaborate to shape AI for ethical and inclusive progress.
Academic Year: 2026-2027
Semester(s): Fall