Mapping the present, imagining the future

These are vital questions for current students — and especially for undergraduates at the University of Cincinnati, where preparing for life after college, through co-op and experiential learning, has always been a vital part of the education process. And they’re questions the Hoffman Honors Scholars (HHS) program is approaching head-on, through an event series that has spanned the 2025-26 academic year.

The series kicked off in October 2025 with a panel discussion entitled “What Is Ethical AI and How Do You Use It?”, moderated by Kelly Cohen, PhD, who directs the AI Bio Lab at Digital Futures and serves as the Brian H. Rowe endowed chair in aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS). Cohen offered an overview of his own specialty, fuzzy logic, which he has been studying since 1994, “when AI was less fashionable". He also offered a vision for Cincinnati at large, and UC in particular, as a leading community for the development of responsible AI tools and practices.

He was joined by two UC PhD candidates, Palak Shah (education) and John Cavanaugh (aerospace engineering), who each presented their AI-related research. Shah’s work focuses on leveraging AI tools to increase access to education and understanding educators’ perceptions of AI; Cavanaugh, who is also the founder of the Plunk Foundation, a nonprofit focused on digital privacy, studies the intersections between AI and digital citizenship.

This spring, HHS has hosted two events: a “Future of AI” presentation and discussion with Ali A. Minai, PhD, and a visit to Cohen’s AI Bio Lab. HHS Assistant Director Adam Moeller described the latter event as an opportunity for engagement and “thought-provoking questions” around AI ethics in fields ranging from aircraft engine maintenance to cybersecurity.

At his talk in early February, Minai, a professor of electrical and computer engineering who also teaches in the neuroscience graduate program, outlined the recent history of AI development in terms of “instrumentalist AI,” or smart tools, and “autonomous AI,” systems capable of acting independently. From there, his talk explored questions about the risks involved in the ongoing development of AI tools and technologies, along existential, economic and cognitive lines. He ended with a call to action, to imagine what’s possible among humans and AI working together, with greater capabilities than either would have alone. Minai urged the audience to learn to use AI in ways that enhance their productivity and value, and to be prepared for lifelong learning in the face of rapid change.

“I don’t think you should give up on being a software engineer,” Minai told a student in response to a question about whether her chosen career would still be viable by the time she graduates. “But you should be ready to become a completely different kind of software engineer.”

In its mission to support exceptional students as they grow into academic achievers, engaged citizens and visionary leaders, the HHS program emphasizes digital literacy, including proficiency in emerging technologies and AI tools. HHS Director Whitney Menser spoke about the importance of equipping HHS scholars as campus leaders and collaborators and as prospective innovators in an ever-evolving future: “We recognize that AI is transforming workplace evolution; we are grateful to these AI experts supporting student development so that Hoffman Honors Scholars can prepare to be ethically minded, technologically savvy and academically competitive alongside a rapidly changing world.”