Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity

The Initiative

Welcome to the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity at Bowdoin College. In a world being rapidly reshaped by artificial intelligence, we aim to empower students and faculty to critically examine, thoughtfully utilize, and ethically shape AI’s trajectory for the common good. 

With a transformative gift from Reed Hastings ‘83, Bowdoin aims to establish itself as a leading voice in understanding and guiding the beneficial uses of AI. We’re investing in this future by hiring ten new faculty members across various disciplines, providing robust support for current faculty integrating AI in their teaching and research, and fostering dynamic conversations through workshops, symposia, and student research opportunities. Our goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders to engage responsibly with the opportunities and challenges presented by AI.

Student Research

Faculty and Staff Research

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  Four Creators Consider Creativity in the Era of AI

  The Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity recently brought together four people whose lives center around creativity to consider an old question in light of new technology: What is creativity? And how might it change with the rise of artificial intelligence?
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  Hackathon Focuses on the Intersection of Art and Tech

  Creativity was the theme for this year’s Hackathon. Sponsored by the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity, students from Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby studied ways of combining technology and art, as tech solutions were applied across a range of areas, including literature, music, and visual arts.
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  Harnessing AI for the Common Good

  Five students are being funded by the Hastings Initiative to pursue projects over the summer in a range of areas, inside and outside the classroom. They are all working with faculty or staff on projects using artificial intelligence tools to make the world a better place.

 

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