Stewardship and Developments in AI

This discussion will explore three separate but inter-related areas where developments in AI technologies, particularly generative AI systems, interact with digital preservation and stewardship in complex ways. This is very early and speculative work.

(1) Definitions of “open” AI components and systems. While there is a reasonable consensus on the definitions and practices associated with open source for traditional computer programs (and an understanding of how open source interacts with preservation and stewardship) a similar definition for AI has proven difficult and controversial, and there's been limited examination of preservation interactions.

(2) Goals of stewardship programs for generative AI. This follows on a discussion from last semester's seminar. It is not clear what aspects and impacts of the behavior of generative AI systems a stewardship program is trying to capture. I'll summarize last semester's discussion and conclusions and seek to test and perhaps re-validate them.

(3) Implications of chatbots designed to mimic individuals. There have been a series of (perhaps over-hyped) interesting developments here; I will summarize a few of these, including so-called “griefbots”, and open a discussion of the potential stewardship implications of these computational objects or services. 

This seminar will be held both online & in person. You are welcome to join us either in South Hall or via Zoom.

For online participants

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Join the seminar online