Critical A.I. Literacies Collective hosts Winter Teach-in on AI in Education Feb. 2

An interactive teach-in on "A.I. in Education: Capital Flows and Higher Ed Spending" will take place on Monday, Feb. 2 in Fraser Hall 101 from 4-5 p.m. All WWU faculty, staff and students are welcome.

This event is organized by the Critical A.I. Literacies Collective (CALC), a collective of faculty and staff from Energy Studies, English, Environmental Studies, Fairhaven College, Geology, History, ITS, Mathematics, Psychology, SMATE and Western Libraries. The collective aims to teach and learn about the wide-ranging global impacts of corporate "A.I." products from critical, interdisciplinary perspectives.

Speakers in the "Capital Flows and Higher Ed Spending" event include Dr. Xi Wang, professor of Energy Studies and Environmental Studies, and Dr. Cathy Wineinger, professor of Political Science. They will make connections between the ongoing investment of vast material resources in global infrastructures that power corporate "A.I." products and the concurrent divestment of resources from higher education in Washington State.

Speakers will address questions such as:

• Why is private corporation Microsoft spending millions to push their chatbots into K-12 classrooms in Washington's public schools while the state legislature cuts millions in public funding from Western Washington University's budget?
• How are communities fighting back against private corporations that try to build data centers in their backyards without their consent?
• How are teachers, students and parents in Washington organizing to increase access to affordable, equitable higher education?

At the same time, the most important goal of the event is to create a forum for participants to speak and listen to one another. Dr. Amites Sarkar (Mathematics) will moderate a group discussion following the opening presentations, and the event will end with a tea and cookies reception from 5 - 5:30 p.m. to give participants the chance to connect with each other.

Please email Jenny Forsythe at [email protected]with access needs and questions.