The rise of artificial intelligence has sparked debate about the relevance of the humanities. While some view it as a zero-sum game where technical skills overshadow arts and culture, many experts disagree. Paul Alivisatos, President of the University of Chicago, believes that AI is transforming opportunities for college students. “We really believe in educating people with the core curriculum, but increasingly, we see people also want the computational and statistical lens of thought,” he said at Davos in January.
Professor Alexa Joubin at George Washington University sees AI as a “heuristic tool” for humanities. “AI can simulate fluency, but it doesn’t inherently think. It’s up to educators to ensure students understand its limitations and learn to ask better questions,” she explained. This perspective positions AI as an assistive technology rather than a replacement for human thought.
The concept of assistive technologies is gaining traction. Decision support tools can make humans more productive, creating a synergy that many experts view positively. The no-code movement is another disruptive trend driven by AI, allowing people to design software without knowing how to code. This shift is reminiscent of how HTML and tools like Dreamweaver revolutionized web development.
Despite the focus on AI, there are still significant investments in the humanities. The National Endowment for the Humanities offers grants, such as the “Humanities Research Centers on Artificial Intelligence” program, which provides up to $750,000 to support research into AI’s ethical, legal, and societal implications.
Alivisatos remains optimistic about the future, seeing AI as an opportunity rather than a threat. “What I see is, for our students, an expansion of opportunities everywhere. Suddenly we can make knowledge work for us better. That’s only going to create more opportunity for people, not less,” he said. This perspective suggests a commitment to preserving humanity even as AI advances.
