The Hopkins Forum: Will Generative AI Stunt or Enhance College Learning?

• Featuring Cathy O'Neil and Rumman Chowdhury; moderated by John Donvan 
• Presented by The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Open to Debate, and Hopkins at Home

Like it or not, AI has entered the chat and nowhere is it eliciting more decidedly mixed feelings than on college campuses. Research shows that the majority of college students use AI on a regular basis, but many are split on whether the technology is a useful tool or a hindrance to learning.

With cheating reportedly on the rise and burdened professors struggling to detect AI work, many are concerned that student use of AI leads to a cognitive offloading that will inevitably be more harmful than any bad grade they may have hoped to avoid.

Yet others see a potential savior, with AI offering personalized tutoring and learning tools like flashcards and quizzes. At the same time, the technology is becoming more and more integrated in workplaces, and teaching students how to utilize AI within individual fields of study may be critical to success after college.

As universities, teachers, and students grapple with a flood of new technology in their classrooms, we debate: Will Generative AI Stunt or Enhance College Learning?

Featured speakers

Arguing "Stunt":

• Cathy O'Neil: Mathematician and Data Scientist 

Arguing No: 

• Rumman Chowdhury: CEO of Humane Intelligence PBC; Former U.S. Science Envoy for Artificial Intelligence 

Moderator-in-Chief: 

• John Donvan, Emmy Award-winning journalist

About The Hopkins Forum Series: 

The Hopkins Forum is a partnership between Open to Debate and Johns Hopkins University’s SNF Agora Institute. This flagship series consists of live debates in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, bringing together diverse perspectives to tackle today’s most pressing issues.

This virtual program will be broadcast live from Homewood campus at Shriver Hall. If you are interested in attending this debate in person, please click here to register! 
Please note: registration and seating are first-come, first-served, so make sure to secure your spot today. All attendees are invited to a post-debate reception in the hall.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University is an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy through research, teaching, and practice. Our events create space for open dialogue and exchange among people with diverse perspectives. By convening scholars, practitioners, and the public, we seek to foster understanding, encourage inquiry, and support the conditions in which democracy can thrive.

The perspectives and opinions expressed by the speaker(s) during this program are those of the speaker(s) and not, necessarily, those of Johns Hopkins University and the scheduling of any speaker at an alumni event or program does not constitute the University’s endorsement of the speaker’s perspectives and opinions. Speakers are participating in this panel in their personal capacities and not on behalf of any branch of local, state, or federal government.
Johns Hopkins University is a 501(c)(3) not for profit entity and cannot endorse or oppose any candidate for public office.