K-State AI Symposium to offer community opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence

Kansas State University will host the third annual K-State AI Symposium: Humans and the Machine Oct. 14-16. | Download this photo.

Kansas State University will host a three-day event for university and non-university community members to learn about artificial intelligence and its various uses and ethical challenges.

The third annual K-State AI Symposium: Humans and the Machine will be Oct. 14-16 at the university’s Hale Library and Manhattan Public Library, 629 Poyntz Ave., as well as online. It is free to attend but registration is required. Session times, locations and descriptions are on the website.

Multiple keynote presentations, panels and workshops will offer insight into the latest advances in AI; how AI can be used in agriculture, engineering, education, humanities and other disciplines; and ethical issues surrounding AI.

The keynote speakers are:

• Charles Elkan, affiliate professor of computer science at the University of California, San Diego, venture partner at Fellows Fund, chief scientist at Poesis AI, and former managing director and global head of machine learning at Goldman Sachs.
• Soumik Sarkar, director of the Translational AI Center at Iowa State University, associate director of the NSF/USDA-NIFA AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture, and professor of mechanical engineering and computer science.
• Rocki Wentzel, professor of classics at Augustana University and expert on narratives about technology, especially in film.
• Brett Karlan, assistant professor of philosophy at Purdue University, with expertise in the philosophy of cognitive science, specifically in psychology and artificial intelligence.

“This symposium addresses some challenges of AI — such as confusion, disengagement, and the spread of misconceptions — and provides structured opportunities for participants to interact with emerging AI technologies,” said Jason Coleman, academic services librarian at K-State Libraries.

Attendees can participate in hands-on workshops such as “Widening Participation in Artificial Intelligence: AI for Good and the Future of Work” and “Your Career Startup in the Age of AI.” Additionally, Manhattan Public Library will host a town-hall style community conversation with experts from humanities, computer science and the library.

“Participants will gain skills in the hands-on workshops and guided demonstrations and learn to evaluate ethical and societal implications of AI,” said Raelynne Hale, assistant professor of Spanish and the symposium’s founding coordinator.

Most sessions are offered both in person and via Zoom. After registering, attendees may show up at the physical location or use the Zoom link that is provided.

Previous K-State AI symposia attracted more than 1,000 participants — 400 in the first year and more than 600 in the second — including in-person attendees from across Kansas and neighboring states and virtual participants nationwide.

The symposium is presented by K-State's departments of modern languages, philosophy and computer science; Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering; College of Arts and Sciences; and K-State Libraries; as well as the Manhattan Public Library. Other sponsors include K-State’s department of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering and Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics, or ID3A.

For more information, contact Raelynne Hale at raehale@k-state.edu.

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