Newly approved AI center in A&S looks to facilitate conversations, engage the community regarding emerging technologies
Center for Humanities and Technology receives board approval in October
The University of Cincinnati's Center for Humanities and Technology is an AI and humanities research center now officially operating under the College for Arts and Sciences, thanks to a $500,000 award from the National Endowment for Humanities in 2025.
In October, UC's Board of Trustees voted to make CHaT a reality. The center was originally named the Center for Explainable, Ethical, and Trustworthy AI when the NEH award was granted.
“Supporting humanities-based AI research is a strategic investment in the future of our scholarship and teaching as well as UC’s global impact,” says Rudy Buchheit, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Humanities scholars help us understand how AI affects people, culture, and society. CHaT will play a significant role in ensuring that the technological advancements of AI are done responsibly, thoughtfully and in ways that benefit society.”
Assistant Professor Andre Curtis-Trudel
André Curtis-Trudel, the center's director and Assistant Professor with the Department of Philosophy, says the National Endowment for Humanities felt a lot of attention was being given to Silicon Valley tech companies but not in the academic world. The center's mission is to support humanities-based research in AI but also other emerging technologies that change society and how we live.
“AI feels like it’s absolutely everywhere these days, it’s a potentially transformative technology whether you’re looking at its impact in the workplace or in research and development or education,” Curtis-Trudel said.
The center has a regular speaker series and an annual conference. In 2027, the spring conference will be about AI rhetoric and explainability. Curtis-Trudel is also interested in public outreach work at the center. They've partnered with the Cincinnati Ethics Center who host AI ethics and critical reasoning workshops with high school students.
“Part of the conversation needs to be, what kind of values do we have, and how can we ensure that those values are supported and promoted by a new technology, as opposed to undermined?” Curtis-Trudel said.
The director said they hope to help facilitate conversations surrounding AI and its current uses. He said often people think about the generative AI systems, which are predominantly large language models, but that's not all it includes.
“AI is changing rapidly, and AI in one way or another has kind of been with it since the 50s, like autopilot on a plane,” said Curtis-Trudel. “What we hope to provide is a kind of continuity between these changes, and a focus on what's human across all these changes, and how can we promote what's human.”
He says the humanities give communities a perspective that can allow people to think broadly and creatively about how AI can be useful. Curtis-Trudel says having a new center dedicated to artificial intelligence and the humanities will expand the discussion.
The Center for Humanities and Technology is currently accepting applications for faculty affiliates, as well as undergraduate and graduate students who want to conduct research. They're also looking for volunteers for their various programming. More information can be found on the A&S Centers & Institutes page.
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