UC to launch center focused on ethical AI

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded $498,430 in funding for the center, which will launch with a five-member interdisciplinary team led by Director Andre Curtis-Trudel, PhD, assistant professor of philosophy. The team will include representatives from philosophy, English and philosophy/physics disciplines — part of a hiring initiative of UC’s College of Arts and Sciences Dean James Mack.

Director Curtis-Trudel says the initiative reflects Mack’s vision to position UC as a leader in AI-focused humanities research in Ohio and the Midwest.  

“AI impacts all human beings, and it is our responsibility as humanists to ensure we use it properly,” says Mack. 

While AI development is often driven by technical fields, the center will address questions humanists are uniquely equipped to explore — such as how AI should be used, what makes it trustworthy and how it affects society, says Curtis-Trudel. 

“With the support of UC leadership and the Office of Research we were able to present the NEH with a proposal that draws on humanities insights to promote the public good,” says Curtis-Trudel.  

The center will provide a forum for research on AI explainability, ethics and trustworthiness — and translate this scholarship into programs and resources for the broader public. UC’s existing strengths in public engagement, outreach and cross-disciplinary collaboration make it an ideal home for the new center which will operate through two core units: a research unit and an engagement unit, each with a distinct but complementary mission. 

The research unit will:  

• Support three interdisciplinary research projects focused on the themes of explainable, ethical and trustworthy AI. 

• Convene a regular speaker series bringing together scholars, practitioners and the public. 

• Host an annual conference and produce collaborative, interdisciplinary outputs — including journal articles, edited collections and monographs. 

The engagement unit will:  

• Collaborate with the Cincinnati Ethics Center to develop K–12 lesson plans, activities and educational materials on AI ethics.

• Host events focused on AI in K–12 education with the Cincinnati Summer Language Institute.

• Partner with the Institute for Research in Sensing to host public conversations about the role of AI in society.

• Partner with the Cincinnati-based Gaskins Foundation to launch an annual AI Ethics Summer Camp for high school students.  

A primary goal of the center is to establish a pipeline from humanities-based AI research to impactful, real-world applications — ensuring that ethical considerations, transparency and public trust are embedded in AI systems from the ground up. 

In addition to the NEH funding, UC’s College of Arts and Sciences has committed roughly $165,000 to support the center, which will also pursue further matching funds.  

Featured image at top: iStock Photo/vertigo3d.