1.Why is AI a topic everybody needs to think about?

AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society, so it is critical that each of us is comfortable coexisting with it. By learning about the basic mechanisms of AI in relation to what humans know and how they understand language, we can use AI more effectively and wisely.

2. How does this class bring an interdisciplinary approach to the question of AI in the classroom?

Generative AI can be approached from at least two perspectives. One is the perspective or approach of language science, that is, linguistics, which studies the properties of human languages and how humans process them. The other is the approach of natural language processing (NLP), which looks at how languages can be processed by computers. In this class, we will discuss each topic from both approaches. That is, for each topic, the view from linguistics will be presented, focusing on human knowledge and abilities, and then the view from NLP will be presented, focusing on how NLP systems process human language and generate the results comparable to those of humans.

3.What do you hope students will get from the class?

Learning what is behind the technology and thinking about the similarities and differences of AI and humans will enable us to use it effectively. We also hope students will recognize the extensive implicit and tacit knowledge they have developed regarding language use. Furthermore, we hope that students will be well-informed and well-equipped to form their own opinions on those questions such as "Is AI 'intelligent'?" and "Does AI really 'understand' human languages?"

4.What expectations do you have for students who take the class?

We welcome students who are eager to not only use but also learn about what is behind Generative AI, students who are eager to explore and use new technologies critically rather than passively, and students who are willing to look at their own language abilities and knowledge from new perspectives.

*Affiliations and job titles are current at the time of the interview.