ENGL 3836 Language and Literature during the Rise of AI

Are you tired of it yet? A lot of technologies, but mostly something called Large Language Models, are being heavily promoted under the banner of AI, and they are challenging some very long-held assumptions about how our language works and what is important about literature. This course engages students in a semester-long conversation about how to make sense of this disruption. Students will have the opportunity to think more deeply about this technology and to put what they learn into writings that will have practical benefits for others. We will read broadly, both essays about AI and works that engage large related topics like the differences between oral and literate cultures, the changing meaning of the human, and the consequences and promises of automation; experiment with different AI programs; consult with guest experts; and actively debate among ourselves about the uses and costs of AI. The course culminates with students preparing and presenting research papers that can inform English course policies.