UC researchers examine ethics of evolving AI
Spectrum News examines ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence
Spectrum News highlighted work by researchers at the University of Cincinnati to explore ethical questions raised by artificial intelligence.
UC's Center for Humanities and Technology is looking at a number of issues surrounding AI, including harm, trust and fairness, postdoctoral fellow Clair Baleshta said.
She is studying AI ethics in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.
“We're focusing on questions about trust in AI, harm in AI,“ Baleshta told Spectrum News.
The UC center launched last year to conduct humanities research on AI and emerging technologies and connects its work to community partners to help them think critically about how they use AI.
AI agents are becoming ubiquitous across business, healthcare and education.
“There are real questions about what would it mean to trust a system that is very alien to us but nonetheless is playing an increasingly important role in all aspects of our life,“ said André Curtis-Trudel, assistant professor and director of the center.
UC's Digital Technology Solutions in December launched Ohio's first university AI platform, BearcatGPT, in stages to faculty and staff and then to students. Unlike other generative AI systems, BearcatGPT is private and secure.
Andrew Cullison, executive director of the Cincinnati Ethics Center, specializes in K-12 ethics education. He said just because educators have access to AI tools doesn't mean they have to use them in the classroom.
“I have my own students take handwritten notes on the reading. And they come to class more prepared and the conversation is livelier,“ he told Spectrum News.
Spectrum also spoke to Assistant Professor Chenxing Xie, who teaches English in UC's College of Arts and Sciences. Xie is working with the P&G Digital Accelerator on a project that uses AI to develop technical training.
Assistant Professor Helen Meskhidze, who studies both physics and philosophy, also spoke to Spectrum News about the many ethical implications of relying on generative AI.
Featured image at top: UC postdoctoral researcher Clair Baleshta talks to Spectrum News about her examination of the ethics around artificial intelligence. Photo/Spectrum News
UC Assistant Professor Andre Curtis-Trudel is founding director of the Center for Humanities and Technology. Photo/Spectrum News
Related Stories
AI not intelligent like its maker
November 20, 2023
In a paper in Nature Human Behaviour, UC's Anthony Chemero explains the difference between AI thinking and human thinking: although AI can "lie and BS" like its maker, it is not embodied therefore doesn't have the same definition as intelligent.
University of Cincinnati gets $1.1M for AI physician training
January 30, 2026
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine has received a four-year, $1.1 million grant to explore using artificial intelligence and personalized learning to improve physician education.
UC receives grant for AI use in medical education
February 26, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is turning to artificial intelligence to help solve a problem in medical training. The College of Medicine was awarded a grant valued at more than $1 million to use AI in advanced physician training through personalized learning.