Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The University of Montana Flagship Fund invests in projects that seek to translate UM's Vision into action. The 2024 UM Flagship Fund invited proposals for one-year grants of up to $10,000 to build the University's internal capacity to better utilize generative artificial intelligence, one of the areas that UM has identified as posing external opportunities and challenges. You can read more about the Flagship Fund projects funded for AY 2024-25 here.

The Office of Organizational Learning and Development (OOLD) offers semester-long communities as ways for faculty to collaborate with colleagues on in-depth professional development projects. The Spring 2024 Faculty Inquiry Project, titled "Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom", had the following charge:

"As educators, we have an opportunity to explore how artificial intelligence can help our students become responsible citizens, engage in civil dialogue, and think critically. As we work to address this technology in our curriculum, it is imperative to prepare students to think about its moral and ethical usage in their areas of study and in the world they will be a part of when they graduate. It is also essential to help our students examine the inherent bias oft his technology and the potential for underrepresented and minoritized voices to be further marginalized.

When we approach this technology with curiosity, we can learn with our students and enrich their educational experiences. In this Faculty Inquiry Project, we will examine how artificial intelligence has affected your discipline, work together to embed it ethically into your curriculum, and examine ways to collaborate across areas of expertise to prepare our students,"

Led by Professor Michael Cassens, this group met twice monthly during Spring Semester 2024 to discuss various topics related to AI and student-centered pedagogy.

The University of Montana held a one-day symposium on January 16, 2024 to explore the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence. The goal of the symposium was to establish a cohesive, University-wide AI initiative that:

• Coordinates efforts across departments and disciplines
• Identifies and implements effective AI solutions to enhance University operations
• Adapts the UM curriculum to prepare students for an AI-integrated world
• Fosters an environment where AI is a catalyst for innovation in research

The AI Symposium schedule and presentation recordings are available online.