Bi-weekly Series Showcasing How We are Utilizing AI in Graduate Education
AI is everywhere — powering research, making exams (maybe?), and even helping faculty perfect their risotto recipes. In this biweekly series, we sit down with UC Merced faculty to uncover how they are using AI in their research, teaching, and yes, even their hobbies. From groundbreaking discoveries to accidental AI-fueled mishaps, expect insightful, entertaining, and maybe even slightly existential conversations. Because let’s be honest — who’s teaching who at this point?
Stay tuned for stories of innovation, adaptation and the occasional AI-generated chaos.
P.S.: All images on this page have been generated, as is appropriate, by ChatGPT.
How I AI: A Journey Through the Evolution of AI in Academia featuring Prof. Chris Kello.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undergone dramatic transformations over the decades, from early neural network research to today’s powerful large language models. In this insightful interview, Prof. Christopher Kello, Chair of the Cognitive Information Sciences Department, shares his thoughts on AI’s evolution, its role in cognitive science, and its implications for academia.
How I AI: From Data to Democracy featuring Prof. Aditya Dasgupta.
Adi’s work explores how AI is revolutionizing political science research, from analyzing farmer protests in India to predicting voter turnout using satellite imagery. By combining machine learning with social science, this is a fascinating demonstration of how AI can uncover hidden political patterns, offering new insights into governance, activism, and electoral behavior.
How I AI: Innovating the classroom with chatbots and podcasts featuring Prof. Sylvain Masclin
This week we will hear from Assistant Professor Sylvain Masclin from the Life and Environmental Science (LES) department. He has incorporated AI into several aspects of teaching and to learn about his vast array of AI tools that make teaching enjoyable and effective, read on…
How I AI: A Dean, a chemist, and his friend 'Chat' featuring Prof. Hrant Hratchian
In this inaugural article of "How I AI," Vice Provost and Graduate Dean Hrant Hratchian shares his insights into AI’s role in academia, bridging the theoretical and practical. From coding assistance to academic writing refinement, he discusses how AI can augment, but not replace, the creative and intellectual processes.
Coming soon
How I AI: The Psychology of Trusting Machines – Even When We Shouldn’t featuring Prof. Colin Holbrook
